Just Say the Words - Birthday Fic for Sunflower Fran
by lovepotionsbrewer
Summary: Recent divorcee, Edward, wants to get back out into the dating world, but first needs some extra cash. His buddy Emmett's got the perfect gig; Edward needs to "just say the words." But, this voice-over job isn't what Edward bargained for. Will Bella give him the inspiration he needs? Full of SunflowerFran's favorite things- Dirty-talkin' Olderward; lots of lemons. All EPOV, kinda.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N - March 8th is a very special day in the fandom, because it is the anniversary of when a great reader, beta, cheerleader, and friend was born: Sunflower Fran. I consider myself so fortunate to have her red pen and support on my side since I wrote my first story.**_

 _ **She deserves Rob delivered to her door in a big red bow, but alas, the best I can do is write a story to honor her and try to fill it with some of her favorite things (translation: this will get dirty, girls!). Because one day isn't enough to honor a woman as great as Fran, I plan to post daily for a full week. Ready to blow out some candles?**_

"I am going to rip your throat out with my bare teeth, tear your body into tiny pieces, light the pieces on fire and happily watch you burn!"

"Woah, Eddie!" The voice of my supposed best friend sounded from the cell phone that was in danger of being disintegrated in my grip. "Is this the thanks I get for doing you a favor?"

"Don't call me Eddie," I growled. The fucker knew how much I hated that nickname, and after the humiliation he had just subjected me to, I was in no mood for his usual joking.

"What's the matter?" Emmett asked, his tone that of a man who never experienced a serious problem in his entire life. "Don't tell me you blew the audition."

Despite the noise of the crowded café I was sitting in, I made out the small snicker at the end of his sentence.

"Very fucking funny, Emmett." I said. "There was no blowing of any kind, and I walked out of the audition as soon as I figured out what the script was about. You can't have expected me to actually go through with that."

"Ed, man," Emmett replied. "You're the one who always said that voice-over work was easy money. You also said you needed extra dough, and this is practically the same as voice-over work. You just say the words into the microphone and cash your paycheck. And, I'm expecting a good portion of that paycheck to be spent on me at the bar."

My teeth were grinding, and I could feel the skin over my knuckles stretching tight.

"You are so delusional," I seethed. "How can you imagine I would be spending money on you when I needed to take a second job?"

"A second job is not what you really need," Emmett laughed. "You're looking for a second job so that you have money to have some fun. And, trust me Eddie, I can show you how to have some fun. You've been out of the dating game a long time. You're going to need a good wingman to show you how it's done in the new millennium."

I didn't think it was possible to feel worse, but this conversation was bringing me down far enough that I was actually reconsidering walking out of the audition. The truth was, everything Emmett had just said was true.

I was a partner for a fairly successful media consulting firm and could pay my bills, which was nothing to take for granted when one of those bills was a rather sizable alimony check to my ex-wife of three years. I had always been good with my money, but no matter how well you think you're planning, going from supporting one household to two isn't easy.

I had managed to not go into debt and started rebuilding some savings by downsizing, living simply and basically never spending anything myself. That included dates. For the first year after discovering Tanya was having an affair, I couldn't even bring myself to think about being with another woman. I was too hurt and shell-shocked.

As I started to surface from the pain, I noticed other women again, but I hesitated to ask anyone out. I'm sure I could have had some fun, but I was old-fashioned and believed that a woman deserved to be treated well and spoiled. The strict budget I had set for myself didn't have any room for fancy restaurants, nights out in the city, flowers, and all the other things I would want to shower a date with.

I had made the mistake of saying something about this holding me back to Emmett, and he had lit up. I had thought, foolishly, that he was excited about me getting out into the dating world again. Now I realized he had seen the opportunity for one of his practical jokes.

"Hey, you still there?" Emmett's voice broke me out of my memories.

"Yeah," I replied, pinching the bridge of my nose and concentrating on taking big breaths. I had walked out of the office, intending to never go back.

The recording studio was one of dozens of businesses in this building. How was it Emmett had found the one that was based on naughty stories to earn me extra cash? Was that really the only opening? I looked around the crowded atrium, as various people in various versions of business casual or corporate attire wandered through. The economy was still pretty rough, there were probably twice as many people who would jump at the chance to get a paycheck for a little voice-over work, no matter what the content.

I was thinking about why I had been looking for a way to make a little extra money. Maybe I was even more desperate than I thought, because I was considering sinking to this low that Emmett had suggested. Just the fact that I was thinking of doing something Emmett considered a brilliant idea made me think I should be saving for a psychiatrist and not for dates.

"Okay," he said. "I got great news, Edward. I just got an e-mail from the production company and they want you." There was a beat of silence as my jaw dropped and I heard Emmett's man-paws pounding his keyboard. "They're even willing to give you a bonus since you weren't aware of the nature of what you'd be working on. Ha! I'm a fucking genius. I got you a bonus without even trying."

"Emmett," I started, fully intending to tell him to delete that e-mail and remove me from his contacts, but I was distracted by a gorgeous brunette entering the café. It was obvious she worked in this building, because she wasn't wearing a coat and the girl behind the counter greeted her with an easy, familiar smile. They exchanged a few words and soon the cashier was laughing as she prepared the other woman's coffee.

The brunette appeared to have a wicked sense of humor, because the café-worker was cracking up. I wished I had been closer in order to make out their conversation. I could use a good laugh – one of the non-Emmett variety.

The dark-haired woman turned away from the register, and I almost forgot to breathe as I got a full look at her. She was stunningly beautiful from her pale, heart-shaped face to her long legs. She was dressed professionally, in a simple button-down blouse and a knee-length skirt. But both hugged her perfect hourglass figure so well that it only made her sexier than any of the naughty pictures I currently had saved on my laptop at home.

I mentioned it had been three years, didn't I?

I tried not to stare like a Neanderthal as she passed by my table, but my head swiveled without permission and I got to check out the back of her, which even sexier as the front. Her extremely bitable ass was enough to make me glad I had actually come on this crazy interview. It was worth the humiliation of Emmett's joke to be able to look at this perfection for a few moments.

As she reached the door, she glanced backward and warm chocolate brown eyes met mine for a moment. My breath actually caught and I quickly turned away toward the window. The drizzly dark of the day made the plate glass a perfect mirror, and I thought she looked at me for a minute before cocking her head to the side as if trying to figure something out. I silently prayed she hadn't sensed me checking her out. The day had been enough of a disaster, I didn't need any more humiliation.

Just as I was stumbling over a lame excuse, the woman shook her head and walked out the door. Long, waves of chestnut silk fell over her shoulder. I turned around to stare again just in time to see graceful, delicate fingers reach up to tuck a lock behind her ear. My own fingers tingled as I imagined making that gesture myself, just before I tipped her chin up to mine.

Through the distraction of my fantasy, I watched her cross the lobby toward the elevators. Even her walk was subtly sexy. I imagined walking next to her with my hand on the small of her back, feeling her sway and occasionally grazing her perfectly firm ass with my fingers as other men watched her pass by, realizing that she belonged to me.

If I was ever going to be able to take out a woman like that, I needed to have more in my bank account.

"How much was the bonus?" I croaked out.

"Three grand!" Emmett boomed, and I held the cell away from my ear, grimacing. "Fifteen hundred for signing and another fifteen hundred if you can get the project done by the end of the month. Get your speed-reading glasses on, Eddie-boy."

I groaned. That kind of money could pay for quite a few nice dates. And, just maybe if I was working in this building for a few weeks I could run into the beautiful brunette again. She no doubt had a husband or a boyfriend who was planning on becoming her husband. But, getting a glimpse of her could feed my fantasies for a while. And, who knows, maybe I'd have a chance to talk with her and hear that laugh that had made the cashier smile so big.

I could swallow my pride and take this gig. Once I cashed my paycheck, I could forget about this embarrassing job that I couldn't believe I was even considering. I could ask out the next woman who caught my eye, even though I'd probably get shot down if she was anything close to as perfect as the brunette that had just disappeared into the elevator.

But, I couldn't just go through the rest of my life afraid to even try.

"Okay," I said. "Tell them I'll take it. I'm going to go home and try to drown myself, but assuming I fail at that, I'll come in whenever they need me."

"That would be right-fucking now, Ed," Emmett replied. "Take your little swim some other time, 'cause right now the producer wants your hot ass and your hot voice upstairs."

"G'ah!" I was reconsidering once again. "The producer didn't actually write that in an e-mail did she?"

"It was between the lines, buddy," Emmett said. "But, trust me, she wouldn't want you so bad if you weren't hot. I think you should ask her out for practice. Maybe ask her to go over the script with you over dinner."

"I can hear your Cro-Magnon eyebrows wiggling over the phone." Despite continuing to give Emmett a hard time and my many reasonable doubts, I was making my way to the elevator. "That's so not happening."

"You seriously need to relax and get laid, buddy." Emmett said. "But, you know what, hold out until after the job is done. I bet your crazy horniness came out in your performance and we wouldn't want to upset the mojo. So, no hook-ups and no whack-offs until the checks in hand. That bonus is only half-earned. Hey, since I got you this job, that makes me your agent, right? You can give me my ten percent in the form of shots or lap-dances, your choice."

"You are disgusting, and I'm hanging up," I said. I didn't bother to wait for his reply before doing just that and stepping onto the elevator.

My heart was hammering as the floors flashed by. I was pretty sure I had left my stomach in the lobby; my insides felt hollow by the time the elevator stopped and I stepped out onto the tenth floor.

The receptionist had paperwork waiting for me, so I focused on filling out my information and tried not think about what I was actually signing up for. It was just voice-over work. It wasn't something I had planned on doing, but it was easy, and I could fit it in around my responsibilities at my firm, which was in an annual slow period now anyway.

As soon as the clipboard with my contract was snatched out of my hands, Ben, the somewhat twitchy producer I had interviewed came whisk me down the hallway toward the sound studio. Giant earphones were snapped onto my head, which I quickly repositioned and tried to flatten my hair back into place. The assistant producer, who thankfully only appeared interested in my volume levels, led me through a few test lines and repositioned some of the equipment.

I kept thinking about the beautiful brunette, which helped in two ways. First, it kept me from walking out with my pride and no paycheck. Second, it helped get me in the appropriate mood for the script.

Emmett may have been a complete buffoon, but he did have a point. It had been a very long time since I was acquainted with any physical connection aside from my own palm. If it was possible to turn my depressing sexual desperation into cash, then at least there was a bright side.

Finally, the audio was set, and the producer told me to begin. I looked down at the page and began to read:

 _As I approached the young beauty who was trembling at the foot of my bed, I reminded myself not to scare her with my need. But, she was so tempting, I could tell from her wide eyes that part of her feared me as much as she also longed for my touch._

 _Though I knew we were both anxious for more than a gentle caress, I did no more than brush her hair over her shoulder when I reached her._

 _We stood looking into each other's eyes, with no sound but our breath. Hers were wide and innocent, and I knew mine were hooded with lust. Breaking away from her gaze wasn't easy, but far greater temptations than her beautiful face were waiting for me to explore with my eyes._

 _Standing as close to her as I was, I could see down the front of the red silk negligee that was hugging her sumptuous curves. Though the light was dim in our room, the gap of fabric and skin was wide enough for me to see the full shape of her full breasts, and to even glimpse the dark rose nipples that stood erect, tenting the silk and begging for me to pull the obstruction away, to cover them instead with the palm of my hand._

 _"_ _I will take perfect care of you," I whispered in her ear, as I tucked a lock of hair into place, still not daring to touch her skin directly. "You just need to trust me, and I will make you feel so good."_

 _She nodded her consent, and I pressed my mouth lightly to the most sensitive point on her neck, tasting her skin and feeling her pulse against my lips. Her body arched involuntarily and her silk-covered breasts were pushed against my bare chest._

 _My arms encircled her waist, pulling her tighter against me and keeping her upright as her knees began to give way._

 _"_ _Give yourself to me baby girl," I said. "Trust me."_

 _"_ _I trust you," she whispered with a shiver. "I'm yours."_

 _Her words were my undoing. I couldn't hold myself back any longer, and my fingers wound around the hem of her negligee and pulled it up over to her waist as my hips ground against hers. One hand held the fabric in place while the other grabbed the mound of her ass and pulled her toward me, pushing her wet heat against my cock, still straining against my boxers._

 _She moaned and her head rolled back, presenting more of her throat as her long hair fell away. She was perfect, beautiful and "mine." The last word of my thought came out as a growl._

 _Still just barely in control, I stepped back just enough to continue removing the silk from her body. As soon as the fabric was over her head, I tossed it to a corner of the room and pushed her down onto the soft mattress._

 _It was beyond erotic seeing her fall, naked except for the small scrap of lace that made up her panties, with her eyes never leaving mine. I kept her locked in my gaze as I crawled on top of her taking each of her hands in mine and pushing them over her head while my mouth explored as much of her as I could reach._

 _I dipped my tongue into her belly button and continued to taste her as I marked a trail to her breasts. Still keeping her arms pinned above us with one hand, I explored with the other while alternating licking her nipples and nuzzling touching the tips of my lips to the place where her ribs met over her heart. I could swear I could feel it beating against the kiss of devotion._

 _"_ _More," she cried, and I was happy to oblige. Still worshipping her perfect breasts with my mouth, I reached between us where our hips met. Her warm folds were wet with her need and I nearly came myself from the way she jerked as my finger found her clit._

 _"_ _Oh baby girl," I murmured in her ear. "Is this all for me?"_

 _She nodded, unable to form speech any longer._

 _"_ _Did you want me to touch you here?" I teased with both my words, and a circling motion against her nub as she writhed for more._

 _"_ _Please," she whimpered. "I need you."_

 _"_ _What do you need, my sweet girl?" I asked. "I'm touching you where you wanted. What more can I possibly give you?"_

 _"_ _Your cock, please, I need…" she trailed off as I inserted two fingers inside her and began rubbing against the sensitive place inside her, still not letting up on my ministrations to her clit._

 _Her walls clenched around my fingers and her mouth fell open as she came. Only then did I slide my cock inside her and begin to move, losing myself to my own pleasure as hers built once again._

 **A/N - More tomorrow! There'll be plenty more scenes for our Voice-overward, and some sweet romance, too. In case it wasn't obvious, the main storyline will always be in regular text, while the scripts Edward reads are in italics.**


	2. Chapter 2 - It's You!

**_A/N – Thank you for all who read and reviewed yesterday, and especially big smooches for passing on your love to Fran after reading. A few of you asked a very good question about why Edward is paying alimony if Tanya cheated._**

 ** _As I understand it, the law can be pretty fluid about that kind of thing, and I saw Edward paying alimony for two reasons: 1. He's not the kind of guy to walk away from a responsibility/promise even if the other party is guilty and 2. (more importantly) I needed him to have a reason to take this dirty-talkin' job. :-) So, I hope you'll allow the liberty I'm taking with how things should be in this situation. Now, are you ready for some more?_**

Six hours, seven climaxes, and far too many straining cocks and heaving bosoms later, I was done with my first day of recording erotic fiction audiobooks. Heading back down to the lobby in the elevator, I tried not to make eye contact with my own reflection on the silver doors in front of me. I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to look myself in the face without a bit of shame again.

I had tried not to grimace at the compliments I had received from the director. I took pride in doing any job I took on well, but I wasn't sure I wanted to be considered "a natural" at reading steamy sex scenes in a "commanding, dominant-type" voice.

I was ready to go home, take a long shower, and bang my head against my kitchen cabinets while I microwaved some god-awful frozen dinner. If that made me a cliché just like every other divorced man in his mid-thirties, so be it. Maybe if I was in a particularly wild mood, I'd catch up with TiVo before doing a little prep work for my next recording session.

One thing I wouldn't be doing was looking at the special pictures I had on my computer. I didn't think it was possible, but I was actually bored of thinking about sex.

I must really be getting old. When I was a teenager, I would have thought this was a dream job – even if I didn't get to see actual women, the idea that some might be getting off on the words I was saying into a microphone would have me reaching for the lotion and my hand-towel.

Now, I just felt like a fraud. I wasn't the hero of any romance, I was a guy going home to an apartment full of nothing but second-hand furniture and regret.

Dammit, maybe I should try to meet Emmett for a drink. At least it would cut down on the number of hours I spent staring at the wall and thinking about that gorgeous woman who had hypnotized me into taking this crazy job.

Maybe she hadn't actually been real, maybe she was a figment of my subconscious.

After debating while I walked down the hall and onto the elevator, I figured I had no dignity left to lose. I took out my cell phone and, seeing I had a signal, dialed Emmett. While waiting for my supposed friend to pick up, I leaned against the cool metal of the back wall, and banged my head a couple of times for making another no-doubt regrettable decision. Just then, the elevator doors opened and that face that had been haunting me all day was right in front of me.

Her chocolate eyes went wide, as if she was as surprised to see me as I was her. "Edward?" the angel asked.

I gaped like a fish, with my cell phone still held to my ear. The beautiful brunette took in my expression and blushed, casting her gaze down to the floor as she stepped onto the elevator with me and turned back toward the doors as they closed and we headed downward.

"Yo, Eddie-" Emmett's voice came over the phone, but I hung up without saying anything.

I was staring at the woman's reflection in the silver doors, but she refused to meet my eye. Had I imagined that she just said my name? There was no way I could have met this woman and forgotten. Even when I was married, I was never blind, and my god was she my type.

She looked up for a fraction of a second and met my gaze in the door's reflection, then glanced down again biting her lip.

In that instant, the synapses of my brain fired and I knew who she was.

"Bella Swan?" I asked, completely in awe.

Her head snapped up and a radiant smile spread over her face, which was still rather pink. She turned slightly and I stepped forward, so we were now facing each other on opposite sides of the door.

"I didn't think you recognized me," she said, shyly.

I could feel the grin spreading across my face. The stretching of those muscles felt unfamiliar, but nice. "I didn't at first," I admitted. "You look so grown up."

Her blush deepened again, and I wanted to kick myself. True, when I had last seen Bella she was a college student, but that was five years ago. Of course she was grown up. Just because my life had failed to move forward in any positive way didn't mean the rest of the world was stuck exactly as it had been.

I was about to apologize when Bella changed the subject. "How is Tanya?" she asked, and the familiar twisting in my gut made me grimace.

"We're actually divorced," I said, my voice gruff.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Bella said. She sounded sincere, but there was something else in her tone as well.

"Thank-you," I said. "But, it's for the best, really." This was my standard response. I wasn't even sure what it was supposed to mean.

The elevator came to a stop and we both looked up in surprise. I let out a little laugh as we started to step off at exactly the same moment, and then gestured for Bella to walk ahead of me. Damn, that ass was even better close up. The thought came before I could stop it and I wanted to kick myself.

Bella had been a senior in high school when Tanya and I bought the house next door to her family. I could tell even then that she would grow to be a beauty.

But, I had never thought of her inappropriately.

Or, I hadn't thought of her that way much.

Okay, maybe brief fleeting thoughts of what she had worn to bed when she house-sat for us may have crossed my mind. But that's it - mostly.

"Are you still living in your place? I mean, the same place?" Bella stumbled over her words. The contrast of the self-assured professional women she appeared to be and this awkward echo of her teenage self was so endearing. For the first time in a very long time, I found myself wanting to open up about what had been going on in my life.

"I sold the house, actually," I told her. "I've got an apartment on the other side of town. How about you?"

"I'm leasing one of those yuppie starter places," Bella admitted with a sheepish grin.

"Not living in your writer's cabin nestled in the Olympic National Forest, yet?" I replied.

Bella's brown eyes grew wider. "You remember me telling you that?" she gasped.

"Of course," I said. "I figured you were destined to become the next Henry David Thoreau. And, goodness knows we could use another." I grimaced as I thought of the script I had tucked in my bag. That would certainly never inspire people the way _Walden_ had.

Bella made a cute sound between a laugh and a snort. "You're probably right, but I don't want to end up in debtor's prison and college loan sharks can be pretty vicious."

I smiled. "Well, it's smart of you to avoid following in Thoreau's footsteps in that particular way."

We were still standing by the elevator and the lobby was getting crowded as the various office workers fled their respective jobs. I caught a few grumpy looks as people stepped around us. Bella didn't seem to notice.

I cleared my throat and tried to remember how I used to ask women out, then realized that whatever I had said ten years ago would probably sound like a ten-year-old pick-up line and Bella would probably laugh in my face.

"You're probably on your way home to your boyfriend anyway," I said, before I could stop the words from leaving my mouth.

Bella shook her head. "No, I live alone."

"Oh," was my brilliant reply. My palms were literally sweating. Had this always been so difficult?

"And I don't have a boyfriend," Bella continued.

"You're kidding?" I asked. "A gorgeous young woman like you?" Okay, that sounded like creepy friend-of-your-dad. I was blowing this big time.

"I'm kind of in a serious relationship with my job," Bella said with a small smile. "But I'll tell you a dirty secret," she placed her hand to the side of her face and leaned in for a mock-whisper, "I've been thinking about cheating on it, because it really doesn't appreciate me."

I laughed and was rewarded by a stunning smile from Bella.

"Well then," I started. "Maybe we could grab a drink. You could lie and tell your job that some handsome guy your own age asked you out."

Bella bit her lip. "Are you asking me to have a drink with you, Edward Cullen?"

I gulped. I hadn't expected my first effort getting back into the dating game would be with someone quite so out of my league. But, there was something to be said for swinging for the fences.

"Would you allow me to buy you a drink, Miss Swan?" I asked, in my best old-timey voice. And then, because I couldn't help but tease her a little bit for the absurdity of this situation. "Perhaps a Shirley Temple?"

Bella raised her chin and one perfectly shaped eyebrow as she looked me squarely in the face. "You can buy me a glass of wine, but I have three conditions."

"What are those?"

"One," she said. "You never offer to buy me a Shirley Temple again. I'm twenty-five, Edward."

I nodded at her, but a part of me wanted to hit myself. Sure, she was perfectly legal (now), but she was still ten years younger than me. "And two and three?"

"Two- we talk about you and me, not my parents, not your ex-wife, and not our jobs." Bella's smile matched my own as I nodded, encouraging her to continue. "And three, can we make it tomorrow night? I'm afraid I do have to run home, now. There's a project I'm working on and I have to make edits by tomorrow morning."

I wanted to kick myself for not being more considerate in my awkward probing. Of course she had plans. Even if she wasn't rushing home to be with her boyfriend, she was a young woman who obviously had a lot going on in her life.

But, on the bright side, it did make it more of a date if we were making plans a day in advance. At least that's how it used to work the last time I asked a woman out. I felt my mouth twist as I considered this dilemma. Then I noticed that Bella was still silently waiting for my answer, her face shifting from a smile to a blank, somewhat confused expression as her eyebrows pulled together.

"I think I can accept those conditions," I said, pushing aside my internal debate. "But, I'll add one of my own. May I walk you out tonight?"

"Okay," Bella said, and she slipped her delicate hand over my arm. A warmth spread from the spot she touched me over the entire side of my body. As we stepped out, I caught the eye of a few men staring at us, and all I could do was grin.

"I'm parked just over there," Bella said, pointing to a new silver Volvo in the first row of the parking lot.

"So close," I noted.

"It's one advantage of usually being the first one in," Bella commented.

"Well, there goes my plan to chat you up for a while before smoothly asking for your phone number."

Bella laughed, turning to face me as we arrived at her driver's side door. "That was pretty smooth, actually," she grinned. "And bonus points for not calling me out on my car choice."

"Hey," I said, putting up my hands, "I would never disparage you for upgrading to something safe and reliable. If you were still driving that tank held together with rust and duct tape, maybe I'd have made a comment."

Bella smacked me playfully with one hand while she was fishing her keys out of her bag with the other. She seemed to be struggling due to several large stacks of paper held together with rubber-bands. I suppressed my curiosity and politely looked back at her car.

I turned back at the beep and click of her unlocking her door, and saw that she had also pulled out her phone. "Just for that," she said, "you're going to have to give me your number. I'll text you my contact info so you can't say you lost it if you suddenly come to your senses later tonight." She winked at me.

I could feel my smile spreading all the way to my ears. It was clearly a whole new world when it came to dating, and the confident woman standing in front of me was clearly a whole new Bella.

But, I felt that both suited me just fine. Instead of feeling uncomfortable, hope swelled for the first time since my divorce.

I rattled off my number, and Bella's fingers quickly responded to my voice. As she punched a last button, I heard my own phone buzz quietly in my pocket.

"I'll call- I mean I'll text you tomorrow," I said, holding her door open as she slid into the leather seats of her new luxury car. I'd meant it when I told Bella that my main thought about the Volvo was that I was glad it would provide her some safety, but as I thought about her owning her own business and her relative youth, I had a brief moment of doubt that I could live up to my own standards of spoiling a woman who obviously could take care of herself so well.

"Very millennial," Bella commented with a smile and another wink. "But, just so you know, millennial guys aren't really my type."

"Is that so," I replied, the doubt being pushed aside by a new swell of hope and a long-forgotten nervous stomach flip.

"Definitely," she smiled. "I'm old-fashioned. And I much prefer real men to the guys, ones with good manners and a witty sense of humor."

"Hmm…" I said. "I'll have to give my dad a call and see if he can give me any tips on how a potential suitor would woo a beautiful young woman in his day."

Bella laughed and I did an internal fist-pump for nailing the sense of humor part. "Okay," she said. "maybe not that old fashioned. I'll see you tomorrow, Edward."

"I'm looking forward to it," I replied, before shutting her door, and stepping back. I watched as she pulled out and drove away before making the long trek across the parking lot to my own Volvo, which was not nearly as new and shiny as Bella's.

After I made my way home and settled into my microwave dinner, I replayed both my first sight of Bella that morning and the near-perfect meeting and conversation we'd just had. What were the odds that I'd be ending the day with a date planned with the beautiful woman who had inspired me to go along with Emmett's crazy idea? It seemed even more unlikely that the beautiful woman would end up being Bella Swan.

As tempted as I was to ponder all the little mysteries about who the shy, studious girl I had known before had become, I decided I should probably look over the script I had brought home. Despite doing fairly well with a cold reading today, the perfectionist in me wanted to be as prepared as possible for the recording sessions tomorrow.

 _It wasn't enough to feel her legs wrapped around me as my hands cupped her bottom and our mouths fought for dominance. The hunger that had awoken in me would not be satisfied until I possessed her completely, and I intended to explore every inch of her naked flesh before making her mine._

 _Setting her down on the nearest open surface, I fisted up the fabric that covered her thighs and began pulling upward. Her own fingers eagerly began undoing the buttons down her front to assist me in undressing her. She trembled, still perched on the edge of the dresser, as I tossed the cotton behind me, not taking my eyes off her._

 _I loved the way her nipples responded to me, before I even made physical contact. Dusty-rose colored peaks poked through the lacy tops of her innocent white bra, begging to be unrestrained. I aided their efforts to escape by pulling the fabric down an inch, taking one in my mouth while caressing the other with the palm of my left hand._

 _She moaned in pleasure and pushed her chest forward. As I licked, kissed and teased, I could feel her starting to slide, ready to be laid out over the desk. But, I wasn't willing to go quite so fast. I kept my arm wrapped tightly around her waist pulling her hips against my bulge while I continued to explore the perfection that were her breasts._

 _My tongue traced the circumference of each mound in an uninterrupted arc. The heat over her skin travelled from my lips through my entire body and was so intense, I wouldn't have been surprised to find both of us engulfed by flames. But, even then, I would not have been able to stop tasting her._

 _My eyes wanted to close, to give greater attention to the sensations coursing through me, but I refused to give up any of my senses when she was so great a delight to each. I pulled back just for a moment to take in the visual of the gooseflesh rising on her freckled skin._

 _Though I knew she couldn't be cold, my instincts had me pull her against my own body to warm her as I covered her neck with my hot breaths before nibbling the places I knew to be the most sensitive._

 _It wasn't until my hand cupped her between her legs, and the wet heat that had soaked through her panties covered my palm that I lost control and began biting harder, unable to stop myself from devouring her as she cried out her need to be consumed by me._

"Fuck" The word escaped from my lips and echoed off the walls as the script fell onto the floor.

Reading the steamy love scenes in the privacy of my home, with the image of Bella's innocent blush and devilish smile fresh in my mind, was considerably different from delivering the words into a microphone being watched by a recording technician. It was easier to truly lose myself, and part of me was responding in a way that I would have been quite embarrassed by if anyone was watching.

No one was watching, now. It took just another second for the devil on my shoulder convinced me to give in to the building lust. Even the memory of Emmett's warning about upsetting my mojo couldn't stop my fingers from reaching into my boxers and gripping my long-neglected cock.

"As long as I'm going to hell, I might as well do it properly," I said as I kicked off my clothes and grabbed a bottle of lotion from my bedside table.

Laying naked on top of my still made bed, at first my thoughts were filled the images of the story I'd been reading. But before long, generic, faceless characters were replaced with a young, sweet-faced brunette writhing beneath a reddish-brown haired man that she gazed up at with admiration and longing despite his being ten years older than her.

I could hear the sounds she would make as I touched her. The heat of my hand was replaced in my mind by something warmer, softer and much more satisfying. My stomach tightened and I came violently onto the blanket.

 ** _A/N – What do you think girls? Has Voice-overward messed up his mojo? Find out tomorrow!_**


	3. Chapter 3 - Reconnecting

Chapter 3 – Reconnecting and Connecting the Dots

 **A/N – Thank you for all the reviews and theories. Some of you had some pretty strong thoughts about where this story may be heading. *whistles* I'll just say I'm not known for angst or shocking twists, and my goal was to give Fran a happy story with lots of lemons. Hope you all feel I continue to deliver…**

There was a small "awkward moment" when Bella and I arrived at the bar. She'd reached for the door, and I frowned at her, annoyed that she hadn't waited for me to open it. After she caught my expression, I'd been afraid she'd tell me off for being chauvinistic, but instead she'd let out a little giggle and then smiled brilliantly at me.

After we settled ourselves at the long oak bar, Bella excused herself to go to the ladies' room. I caught myself grinning like a fool in the mirror over the gleaming bottles as I took my stool. Hoping to make myself seem a little less creepily eager, I pulled out my phone to review our conversation from earlier in the day.

E: Looking forward to tonight. I know a great place with an impressive wine list that serves Shirley Temples.

B: I was looking forward to tonight, too. But, have you forgotten condition one? Are you trying to back out?

E: I could never forget. But the condition was I never offer you a Shirley Temple. You're assuming I didn't want one for myself.

B: LOL. Where should I meet you?

E: Office lobby? 6 o'clock?

B: See you then.

I smiled at the phone, giving myself a pat on the back for succeeding at some of the fundamentals of dating in the new millennium.

Just then, it buzzed again. I grimaced at the picture that appeared with the incoming text. But, at least Emmett had decided to use his face as an avatar. Ugly as it was, there were other parts of his body he might have snapped a photo of that I'd much less prefer to see.

Em: EDDIIIEEE! Where R U? You need to turn on UR tinder app!

I shook my head and turned the phone off again. I forced myself to think of who I was with and where I was in this precise moment, pushing aside all the disturbing realities of the "new world" of dating that Emmett so wanted to impress me with.

As Bella had predicted, we basically had the place to ourselves. I had been a little surprised when she suggested the bar attached to one of the city's high-end chain hotels, but she explained that she'd found it to be a great place to talk with potential clients, primarily because it was so quiet mid-week.

After studying the wine list, I glanced around the dimly lit space, filled with dark woods, rich-colored fabrics, and only two other couples engrossed in each other. Perhaps one day Bella and I would come back here, and I'd be able to wrap my arm around her in one of those deep seats, my nose nestled into the crook of her neck, able to inhale the scent of her soft skin.

I had so far only been able to graze with the tips of my fingers as I shamelessly used the excuse of tucking her hair behind her ear after taking her coat. I could still feel the tingling running up my arm, as if the heat of her blush had burned me without leaving a mark.

I somehow knew the instant she was in the room again, and my eyes locked on to hers in the mirror as she walked toward me. I sucked in a deep breath and stood to pull out her stool for her, sitting back on my own only once she was settled comfortably.

"Such a gentleman," Bella murmured, looking shyly down at the gleaming wood of the bar.

"Only treating you like you deserve," I countered, resisting the urge to tip her chin up with my fingers. I needed to get a hold of myself or I'd be touching her every second.

Hoping to distract both of us, I caught the eye of the bartender. As he approached, I asked Bella what she'd like.

"I'm just going to have a glass of red wine," she said, still looking at me.

"The lady and I will each have a glass of Castello di Ama," I told the bartender, who was clearly hoping for her attention.

"Of course," he replied, barely bothering to look at me. "And would you and the gentleman like anything to eat tonight, Bella?"

I turned in surprise to Bella, who was looking at me with her own expression of shock. "How did you know my favorite wine?" she asked.

"How does he know your name?" I countered, before I could stop myself. It came off sounding possessive, which was ridiculous under any circumstances, but especially considering this was our first date.

"Tyler has been working here a while, and like I said, I often meet clients here," Bella explained.

I glanced at Tyler, who had narrowed his eyes at me slightly, though his expression was still mostly calm and professional.

"Of course," I nodded, then turned back to Bella. "I'm glad you like the chianti, but I didn't realize it was your favorite. Just a lucky guess. Did you want anything to eat?"

"Perhaps after we've had a chance to enjoy the wine," Bella responded, nodding slightly to Tyler who took it as a cue to not only start getting our drinks but to stop giving me the side-stink-eye.

"Well," I smiled at her, "I guess we have more than Forks in common, now. I'm impressed that you haven't fallen into the trap of drinking only pinot like so many people after that movie."

Bella rolled her eyes and let out a soft laugh. "True," she replied. "And I'm relieved to be with someone who doesn't find it necessary to do an impersonation of Anthony Hopkins after mentioning Chianti."

I laughed louder than she had as our drinks were placed before us. "To reconnecting," I proposed, lifting my glass.

"I'll drink to that," she responded before clinking hers against mine and then bringing the blood red liquid to her mouth. I noticed as she put the glass down and her tongue peeked out to catch a drop of the wine from her top lip. I then glanced at her glass, which was free of the familiar smear of pink goo. Bella didn't need anything but her own natural beauty to look perfect and sophisticated.

"So, why don't you tell me more about why you're thinking about finding someone you could start cheating on your job with, and why someone hasn't already succeeded in stealing you away," I offered. I hoped by making a joke out it, I would keep things light while encouraging her to share more details about what she was looking for in a relationship.

"Well," Bella said, "I do put in a lot of hours at work, which is hard enough on a person's dating life, but since the economy is so whacky, it seems that most of the men I meet either don't even have a full-time job, or don't think they need to take the job they have seriously."

"Hmph," I couldn't help but grumbling. "Millennials."

"We're not all bad," she teased before I could apologize. Bumping my knee with hers, she continued. "And in our defense, you Gen-Xers changed all the rules before we could even start playing the game. I tried finding a safe, normal job for a few months out of college, but then my friend had this great idea about how to make some good money on a hobby we both enjoyed. A few apps developed and a little investment capital later, and I realized not only was I practically spending every waking moment engrossed in this idea, but we'd actually managed to make a living."

"Wow!" I said, my wine-glass frozen between the table and my lips. "That's incredible."

Bella blushed, looking down as her finger traced the rim of her own glass. "Whoops," she said. "We weren't going to talk about our jobs. Sorry, I didn't really want to get into that. But, I do feel like people my age have this stigma of not actually being interested in work, or being so plugged into technology or spoiled by our parents that we don't care about actually contributing."

I shook my head. "That may be true of a lot of people of basically any age," I said. "But I would never think that of you. Even years ago, I could tell how much being responsible and giving back meant to you."

Bella smiled in pleasure. "I've always kind of felt like an old soul, which is also why I don't date much. I'm not interested in going to clubs or speed-dating." She shivered in mock horror and I laughed.

"Oh god, I think I'd rather be set on fire," I ran my fingers through my hair, wondering if I should admit to Bella how Emmett had needed to explain to me what speed-dating was. We'd argued about it for a good hour while watching the game at his house. First, I refused to believe that anything that awful actually existed, and then he tried to convince me to try it. Finally, I just let what I was really thinking slip out. "Whatever happened to just spending time with someone, enjoying getting to really know them, and sharing your lives with each other."

"Exactly," Bella responded, her blush deepening. "That's what I want. And I guess maybe I've been holding onto a fantasy for so long, I can't quite let it go."

"Fantasy?" I prodded.

"That's a little much to get into on a first date," Bella replied, biting her lip in anxiety.

"Okay," I replied, in a much lighter tone. "We'll have to go out again so that you can share your fantasy with me. This weekend work for you?"

Bella laughed again, and we shifted into less serious topics like music and movies. We hadn't seen a lot of the same things, because Bella had surprisingly been going to films with actual plots while Tanya had been dragging me to the predictable chick-flicks I could never distinguish from each other. But, I enjoyed hearing Bella's take on many of those I'd wanted to see.

Hours later, our empty glasses sat on the bar and my legs were feeling a little numb from the stool. Though the conversation had continued to flow easily, every muscle in my body was tense from fighting the urge to casually touch her.

"Last call," Tyler stood in front of us, arms folded across his chest and his eyes narrowed.

Bella startled, jumping a bit off the stool and then twisted her head to look around the now empty bar. As her hair swung over her shoulder, a warm and inviting scent filled the air between us and I took a deep breath.

"Did you want anything else," I asked her.

"No, thank-you," Bella said as she turned back to me, her eyebrows raised in surprise. "I didn't realize it was so late. I hope I haven't kept you too long."

"Trust me, there was nothing you were keeping me from," I laughed and shook my head at her, before turning to the sour Tyler. "I'll take the check, please."

"You'll have to let me treat next time. I mean," Bella paused, biting her lip. "I would like to do this again if you would."

I gave her a crooked smile. Her familiar shyness was so endearing; I was torn between the impulse to fall at her feet and a desire to gather her up in my arms and refuse to let her go. The fact that she could question my wanting another date was a reminder of the innocent young woman that I had met those years ago.

Even then, I couldn't completely deny the attraction. Now that I had gotten to know more about her, to learn some of the things that she was passionate about and to hear her laugh, I was just glad I hadn't truly realized how remarkable a woman she was. I wouldn't have been able to resist her, and, given that I was unhappily married, there was no doubt it would have ended badly.

Perhaps the universe was giving me a second chance.

"I would love to take you out for a nice dinner, Bella," I told her, my voice fervent even to my own ears.

"But, you've already taken me out for drinks," she protested. "It should be my treat next time."

I shook my head. Even as a twinge of self-doubt twisted in my stomach, I knew there was no way I could change who I was or how I felt about certain aspects of relationships, even if it made me seem old-fashioned, or just plain old.

"You should know that I like to take care of the woman who honors me by spending her time with me," I told her, my tone firm. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Tyler roll his eyes. I resisted the urge to do the same, as our feelings toward each other were clearly mutual. "That means I'm not keeping score and expecting any kind of reciprocation for treating you to a couple glasses of wine or a fine dinner, and whatever comes after that. Can you believe me when I say that, Bella?"

Bella's eyes widened, but she nodded. "Of course, I believe you, Edward. And, that's…" she trailed off, twisting in her stool, but not getting up. Her gaze was focused down on her shoes while she struggled find the words. I took the opportunity to slide off my own seat and pick up her coat, holding it ready for her to put on.

When Bella looked up, her mouth fell open and whatever she had been about to say seemed to get stuck in her throat. The deep rose blush that I was beginning to crave spread across her cheeks and made its way to her chest. I resisted the urge to stare at the skin visible from the deep v-neck of her blouse as she stood and turned so that I could slide her coat up her arms and pull it onto her shoulders. Taking a risk, I stayed standing behind her while I reached around to button her up, coming very close to encasing her in my arms and burying my face in the crook of her neck.

"That's what you deserve, Bella," I whispered in her ear, finishing her earlier sentence for her.

Though I could resist the urgent desire to press Bella's body against me and explore the small spaces of bare skin with my lips, I would not deny myself the need to walk her safely to her car.

Bella was apparently learning quickly, because she unlocked it with the remote, but made no movement toward the door handle as we both stood by her driver's side.

A thousand thoughts were swarming through my mind as I stood next to her, looking into her porcelain heart-shaped face that was tilted up toward mine. I knew I should say goodnight and open her door, but I was momentarily frozen. There was something inside of me that was already craving Bella like a drug, and the monster was screaming at me to not let this night end.

"Edward," she bit her lip again, as if afraid to say whatever she had been about to say.

"Tell me, Bella," I encouraged.

I watched in fascination as her tongue darted over her lips, smoothing over the flesh she had been nibbling on and that I so wanted to taste.

"I was going to ask you something, but I'm not sure if I should," Bella admitted.

"Go ahead," I urged.

She took a deep breath, and I was hit by the fragrance of the wine we had drunk as the warm air washed over my face. "I was going to ask whether you would think less of a woman who kissed on the first date," she murmured.

Rather than answer her with words, my body reacted on instinct and I wrapped one arm around her waist while the other hand tipped her chin up. I saw Bella's dark lashes flutter closed as I shut my eyes, and I met her lips with my own.

She tasted like the sweetest honey. My desire sung through my body like an electric hum, but I kept the kiss soft, my mouth closed and still for a minute, just resting against hers.

As I pulled away, Bella's dark lashes fluttered a bit and her breaths came short and quick.

"I might be old-fashioned, but it's not like I was born in another century," I quipped with another smile as I forced myself to release her waist and reached for her door.

She slid into the seat and I closed her door for her as she started the engine. Before she was able to pull out of the space, however, I tapped on her window, and she lowered the glass.

"Text me when you get home, so I know you made it safely," I told her.

A mixture of emotions ranged over Bella's face, from surprise and resistance to finally a sweet smile. "Okay," she said, "As long as you text me back to let me know you're okay."

I laughed at that and she rolled up her window again before pulling away. I watched her drive out of the parking lot as I headed to my own car. Grinning as I started up the engine, I decided to turn my phone on right away, just in case she had a shorter commute than me.

When I did, I was greeted with the chimes of at least a dozen incoming texts. Despite my annoyance as I scrolled through the messages, I was on such a high from being with Bella that I sat in the parking lot and laughed like a fool at Emmett's barrage of advice and questions about what I was doing.

I texted him a fairly long reply before pulling out and heading home: "For the last time, I'm not joining tinder. I just had a great date with a beautiful woman, and no, you can't meet her any time soon."

I chuckled as I imagined what Emmett's reaction to that would be. Since I didn't want to get into an accident, I activated the app that would read any texts that came in while I was driving. That probably wouldn't work for all the funny little cartoon shapes Emmett liked to send me, but I'd be sure to know if Bella messaged me about getting home.

Who said you couldn't teach an old dog new tricks, I thought wryly. Though, I had to admit, I had no idea why Emmett sent me so many texts of that little cartoon eggplant. That was probably better not to think too much about.

I went right to bed after Bella and I exchanged "home safe" texts, which meant I had to look over the script I'd be reading the next day over my morning coffee. This one was different; but there was also something that seemed familiar about it:

 _Victoria has spent the past two days trying to keep her fantasies in check, but as another midnight approaches and she still can't settle into sleep, she decides it's no use. The scent of his cologne, which seems to linger on every surface, is driving her wild. She leaves the guest room and follows the aroma to where it seems the strongest, tiptoeing into his room though there's no one that would hear her if she stomped and shouted down the hall._

 _Next, she does the unthinkable and climbs into his bed and begins to touch herself._

 _She's listening to the sound of her own gasps and sighs when he cautiously opens the front door and carefully drops his keys on the front table. Although he's home early, he assumes she's already asleep and doesn't want to disturb her, so he moves as quickly and quietly as he can to his room._

 _What he sees, however, stops him silent in his tracks. Her eyes are closed, but her legs are open, showing her glistening folds as her fingers move in and out._

" _Don't stop, please," he whispers as she unexpectedly meets his heated gaze. "Show me how you make yourself come._

" _I can't," she whimpers._

" _Baby," he growls, "I know you can."_

 _She shakes her head, embarrassed._

" _Shall I do it for you then?"_

 _She looks up, her mouth falling open in shock._

" _So beautiful" he murmurs as his fingers crawl up her thighs to the glistening apex. Her hips jerk off the mattress when his thumb circles her clit. Her eyes close tight._

" _No, no," he demands. "Open your eyes or I'll stop what I'm doing."_

 _She has no control when he relaxes the pressure on her sensitive nub; her eyes open and meet his gaze._

" _Just the thought of you doing that in my bed will feed my fantasies for weeks, maybe even years," he tells her without a hint of shame in his velvet voice." You probably didn't even know how hard you make me just by biting your little lip."_

 _She hadn't realized her teeth were piercing in bottom lip until he commented on it. She whimpers and he feels moisture pooling in his hands as he cups her sex._

" _Please forgive my curiosity, beautiful," he crows. "I just need to know, what is it that can get you worked up like this. Is it a movie star, or a famous athlete?"_

 _She snorts indignantly._

" _No?" his fingers are completely coated in her moisture, and he wants to bring them to his mouth, but he won't stop touching her. "Someone you know personally then? Some lucky guy at your school?"_

 _She shakes her head before whispering. "It's always been the same guy as long as I can remember."_

" _What made you think of him tonight?" he asks, still working her into a frenzy with his touches._

" _I'm always thinking of him. Usually I can control myself, but not when he invades all of my senses."_

" _What do you mean, baby?"_

" _Your cologne, it's everywhere. I couldn't stop thinking about you when I can smell you every moment."_

" _Are you saying you were thinking of me when you were touching your wet pussy?" Hs heart swells with pride as his cock twitches in his pants. "Is it me that made you wet like this?"_

" _Yes, yes," she cries as the shivering heat overcomes her._

" _Tell me what you want."_

" _I want you inside me, please."_

 _He reaches into the bedside table, grabbing a condom he thought was destined to expire before he had reason to rip it open. As he kicks off his shoes, she unbuttons his shirt and pushes it off his shoulders, relishing in the feeling of his muscles tensing under her fingers. They work together to free him of his pants, and he sheaths himself before positioning himself between her legs._

 _He meets her eyes as he stills, wondering where he will fall in the line of men she has likely brought to their knees with her raw sexuality. But, then he decides he doesn't care about the broken hearts in her past or future. He will enjoy this unexpected experience as best he can, and let the rest be what it will be._

 _So, he is surprised when he pushes inside her and she winces in pain. Her walls are tighter than he expected and he finds himself being impeded unexpectedly._

 _With a gasp, he realizes the meaning of what he is feeling, and he wishes he could start over, being more gentle and reverent. But, would he have had the nerve to enter her at all if he had known he was going to be her first?_

" _Hang on to me, darling," he whispers before placing a gentle kiss just below her ear." It will feel better in a minute, I promise."_

 _She nods, her hair falling wild on his pillow. He wraps one arm under her back to hold her against his chest as he positions them to allow his other hand to reach and sensitive place above where they are meeting. He feels her tremble inside and keeps up a slow but steady pace._

 _He wants to moan whenever her breasts touch his chest, but he maintains control for her sake. It has been so long and she feels so good, but he can't allow himself to come until she has gone over the edge again._

What the fuck? That shouldn't be familiar, should it?

 **A/N - … And then he fell asleep. LOL. Sorry for the abrupt end there, but this chapter was already getting a little long. I'll make it up to you, promise.**


	4. Chapter 4 - Mobsters vs Microsoft

**Chapter 4 - Mobsters vs. Microsoft**

 **A/N- Thank you again for joining Fran's week-long birthday celebration. I really appreciate all the reviews and comments. A warning on this chapter – since I understand that Mobward is one of Frannie's favorites, I made my first attempt at that kind of scene. But, it got long and I had to split it in half to fit within the main storyline.**

 **Part two will be up tomorrow. If you don't think you'll want to read half of Voiceoverward's script today, you can wait and read this and Chapter 5 then.**

The next few days passed quickly, which wasn't surprising considering I was putting in nine hour days at the recording studio. It turned out Bella was having a pretty busy week at her job as well, so I settled for a commitment from her for Saturday night. We'd also had a nice long phone call the night after our date, and texted a few times each day with random thoughts and jokes. That made the days go a lot faster for me as well.

Even though we weren't actually seeing each other every day, having Bella in my life felt like I wasn't alone any more. She wasn't just undeniably sexy fuel for my fantasies, she was fun to talk with. I felt we were on our way to becoming better friends than I'd ever been with a woman before.

It's funny how when one part of your life starts going well, other things start falling into place that you weren't even hoping for. It turned out Ben, the sound technician was also a pretty cool person. I was thinking about asking him if he had a girlfriend. It would be good for me and Bella to have couple-friends once we were officially a couple.

But, I didn't want to get ahead of myself. So, when I arrived at the studio and found Ben tapping away at his mouse, making the multi-colored lines of sound-waves move around his monitor in ways I still didn't understand, I just asked him how his night had been.

"Not too bad," he said, giving me the briefest of glances. That was one thing I liked about Ben. He was a young tech-guy, but he hadn't completely forgotten how to interact with humans. Given the stuff he listened to me read, he'd have more than one good excuse for never making eye contact with me. "So, how's your Chicago accent?" he asked.

"Well, I was born in Chicago," I replied. "But, I think my accent is more mid-Western standard than _GoodFellas_."

Ben laughed and swiveled in his chair, apparently having finished moving the bits of electronic sound to where they needed to be. He clasped his hands together and made an ostentatious stretch, raising his arms above his head until we could both hear the muffled pop of his shoulder joints.

"Man," I commented. "You gotta learn to walk away every now and then. Too much sitting still is unhealthy, you know."

"Yeah," he said. "I actually promised my girlfriend I'd start doing better at that. But, you know how it is."

I nodded, filing away the fact that Ben did have a girlfriend, and hence could potentially be available for double-dates.

"How were the takes yesterday?" I asked.

"Great," Ben replied. "We put a short-snippet of the house-sitter scene online, and I heard from marketing that it's getting a better than average click-though and purchase rate. The BB is thrilled."

"Who's BB?" I asked.

Ben laughed and blushed a little. "Sorry," he said. "Inside joke – that's what us tech folks call the big boss."

"Oh," I said. "I get it. Cute." Internally I thought that it was a good thing these guys weren't in charge of the copy.

"You ready to start?" Ben asked.

"Yup," I replied. "Just let me get my ears on."

I made myself comfortable in front of the mike, settling the headphones on my head so as to do as little damage as possible to my hair, which was being unruly today. After doing the usual tongue-twisters to set the recording levels for Ben, he gave me the thumbs up, and I started in on the script.

 _As always, my first unconscious act as I entered the room was to sweep the area for signs of anything amiss. I pulled back the curtains gingerly and looked in each corner of the ceiling, checking for hidden devices intended to harm or spy. After being satisfied by a complete check, I took off my jacket, hanging it in the empty closet. The leather holster that embraced me stayed in place, the familiar weight of my piece nestled in my side, for now._

 _It was a nice room, luxurious even compared to my usual choices. Original art hung in solid frames, as opposed to innocuous prints in plastic. Fine crystal champagne glasses had been placed on a silver tray on the mahogany table of the suite. The small sofa tucked into the bay window was covered in soft fabric and so over-stuffed I could imagine falling into the cushions and sleeping comfortably for hours._

 _The sofa was no comparison, however, to the king-sized bed, which I passed as I pulled the curtains completely closed while inspecting the folds of fabric. It dominated the private bedroom, the solid metal frame and oceans of blankets and pillows looked like an oasis to my restless soul._

 _I allowed myself a small smile, relaxing into the luxury of the room and the rare gift of time I had in front of me. For the next few hours, I could mostly concentrate on my needs, not self-preservation. Money was never an issue, but discretion was, so it wasn't always the top-of-the-line hotels that I frequented. Tonight I was treating myself, and though the room was secondary to my plans, I was happy to have the best._

 _I'd been owed a rather large favor, and I cashed in by making a near impossible request. For one night, I wanted to feel like any other man, seducing a beautiful woman. My position required a hand-selected and well-vetted partner, who would allow me to take pleasure in her body for nothing but the feelings I could evoke in her, and the desire for physical connection._

 _A short knock sounded on the door, followed by a five-second pause and three more quick wraps._

 _I wrapped my fingers around the holster at my side and peered out the peep-hole. A girl was waiting alone outside, her head bowed so that I could make out waves of brown silky hair, but none of her face._

 _I didn't get to be my age and my position by taking risks, so I slipped my gun out and held it just behind the door as I opened it a crack._

 _The girl looked up at the sound of the door opening, and I met her blue eyes. I'm not one to fall for appearances, which can so often be false, but the sight of this girl made something in me sigh in relief. I had told my assistant that I was tired of the working girls who could put on a show but were cold and detached for their anonymous johns, or the clawing and conniving women who knew who I was and the power I could bring to their families if they managed to catch me in their snares._

 _I wanted someone natural, as close to innocent as possible. If I had allowed myself to dream of the woman I most wanted, it would be the sweet-faced, wide-eyed brunette now waiting silently to enter my hotel room._

 _"Come in," I stepped back, keeping my eyes on the hallway behind the beauty to assure myself that she had come alone, then shut the door and put the chain in place as she took a few steps inside._

 _"Take off your jacket and drop it on that chair," I commanded, indicated with the point of my revolver, which was still hidden under my suit jacket._

 _She did as I asked and stood quietly, her eyes focused where she knew my weapon was pointed at her. She looked nervous, more so than most under the same circumstances. I guessed that she was new to the working girl life._

 _"Turn around," I demanded, my tone and my heart completely void of sympathy._

 _She took in a short little breath, her pupils dilating the smallest fraction. For a moment, I was afraid she would refuse and walk out, but after the brief pause she slowly pivoted in place, allowing me a 360-degree view of her hour-glass figure. Her red dress was skin tight, which pleased me because I wouldn't have to ask her to remove it before we started our "date." I knew of hundreds of ways to conceal a weapon under men and women's clothes, but I also knew every tell that would indicate such a ruse._

 _Satisfied that she was unarmed, I now sought to put her at ease. I slung out of my jacket and draped the dark wool so it would hang without wrinkling over the back of a chair. Next, I deliberately took off my holster, keeping my eyes locked on hers. At the muffled sound of my gun meeting the wooden table, I felt a weight ten times the literal mass of the iron and leather leave my body._

 _"For the rest of the night, I'm just a man," I told her. "You don't need to be afraid of me."_

 _She nodded, but remained tense. The only movement was the sweep of her long eyelashes as she blinked, her blue eyes locked on me._

 _"Come here," I extended my arm and she crossed the room to stand just in front of me. I placed my hands on either side of her neck. It was a habit; I realized the subconscious instinct to imply just how easy it would be to take her life with my bare hands. And it would be simple; she was as fragile beneath my calloused palms as a small bird._

 _Pushing the thought to the back of my mind, I slid my hands over her soft skin to rest on her shoulders, gently massaging her tension as I pushed the thoughts of calculating her pulse from my mind. Her eyes closed and we both exhaled pushing the tense moment away from us._

 _"What's your name, beautiful?" I whispered before bringing my lips to the hollow of her throat._

 _The question made her tense again and I could practically smell the blood spiked with adrenaline as my nose brushed against her jugular._

 _"Rose," she stuttered as I watched her neck muscles move to form the small syllable._

 _The catalog of names of men and women – associates and enemies started whirring in my brain. But I quieted it. None of those people were relevant in this moment._

 _"Relax, Rose," I spoke into the shell of her ear, making her shiver again. "I promise I will make you feel so good, you will never forget tonight."_

 _Her lips parted as if she were about to speak, but I stopped her words by claiming her mouth with my own. I tasted her deeply, rewarded by a tiny whimper in the back of her throat._

 _"Just feel, beautiful," I said, though I was reminding myself as much as I was commanding her. "You don't need to think about anything else but the way I'm touching you." I punctuated this thought by grinding my hips into her. "and what you do to me."_

 _"Why me?" she whispered._

 _My lips twitched into a grin. She was playing the part so well; it was almost easy to completely lose myself in her innocent timidity._

 _"Because you're beautiful, and sweet," I told her, now making a trail of soft, short kisses around her neck. As I reached the hollow of her throat, all I could see was the swell of her perfectly round, high breasts, pale skin completely white except for the dark shadow of her cleavage. "I've wanted something beautiful and sweet for a long time." I pulled back to hold her gaze before adding. "Will you give me that, lovely girl?"_

 _She nodded her head, but did not meet my eyes. I was slightly disappointed, but understood her need for self-preservation._

 _"Good," I said. "You're going to be very good, I can tell." I had planned on having dinner with her first, of romancing her with champagne, but my cock was aching and the part of my brain that longed to lose control was growing impatient._

 _"I'm going to take you to bed first," I informed her. "Then we'll have our date, and then I'll enjoy your body some more, until the sun comes up."_

 _Rose swallowed. I would swear I could feel her pulse racing. I took her hand and led her into the bedroom, closing the door to the living area of the suite behind us. Though this room was far from cramped, it seemed like the bed grew to push against the walls as we both stared at it in expectation._

 _"Undress me," I commanded, stepping back._

 _Rose followed my instructions, unbuttoning my silk shirt. She kept her eyes focused on her fingers, and didn't try to smile at me or flirt in any way. When she pushed the smooth fabric off my muscled shoulders, however. I could see her eyes flitting across my chest and her thighs rubbing together beneath the red dress._

 _"Like what you see," I smirked at her._

 _"You're beautiful," she whispered. But, her fingers were reaching toward one of my ugly scars, a bullet wound high on my left shoulder, puckered skin raised and still a bit pink._

 _I closed my hand around hers before she could make contact with it. "Now take off my belt and pants," I commanded, "and then it will be your turn."_

"Fuck," a voice other than my own sounded in the head-phones.

"That's what she said," I deadpanned back.

"Yeah, like I haven't heard that one a million times before," Ben responded, with a good natured snort. "I'm sorry to cut you off like that, Edward, but my computer just started doing some kind of update and the recording program crashed."

"Damn," I said. "Cock-blocked by Microsoft."

Ben merely grunted. I had expected him to merely click a few buttons and tell me to start again, but he continued to frown at his monitor while I shifted from foot to foot.

The phone next to Ben rang and he picked it up with a "yeah." My new-found friend began speaking in forms of groans, grunts and techno-words that were just as unintelligible to me. I was guessing that this wasn't going to be a quick fix.

I glanced at my watch and noticed it was actually already close to noon, which gave me an idea.

"Hey," I said into the mic, forcing Ben to look up at me. "If you think it may be a while, do you mind if I step out and get lunch."

"Yeah, why don't you do that," he replied. "This looks like it's going to take at least an hour. It's not just an update problem; the whole company's network seems to be down. BB's going to shit a brick."

I grimaced in sympathy, but I was hoping the bad news for Ben would have an upside for me. I stepped out into the hall and took out my cell to call Bella.

"Hello" her voice sounded frantic when she picked up.

"Hey, sweetheart," I said. "Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"Edward?" Bella responded. "Oh, um, I thought you were someone else for a second. Sorry. It's nice to hear from you. But, um, yeah, my work just got a little crazy."

It occurred to me that the technology problem might be affected other offices in the building. "Sorry to hear it," I said, meaning it. "I was hoping you might be able to step away for lunch."

"Lunch?" she replied, the question mark strong in her voice.

"Yeah, am I dating myself with an old-fashioned term?" I teased. "Back in the day, we used to have three meals a day. The middle one was called lunch, and we'd sit down at a table without any computers on it, and eat food that doesn't come out of a vending machine. It was very nice, and I think it's ready for a comeback."

"Ha, ha," she deadpanned, though I could hear the smile through her sarcasm. "I know what lunch is, but you're right that I don't take a break for it that often."

"Can I convince you to make an exception today?" I had wandered to the elevators, but didn't push the button. I had an image of bursting into Bella's office and throwing her over my shoulder, but I wasn't even sure what floor she was on. "I promise to deliver you back to my competition within an hour."

Before she could answer, I heard another voice on Bella's end. Though the words were indistinct, they sounded apologetic and a little frightened.

"Can you hold on for a second, Edward?" She didn't wait for a reply, and the line was silent for a minute.

I was still plotting ways that I could figure out exactly where Bella's office was when she came back on the line. All kidding aside, even if she wouldn't agree to go out with me right now, I thought I could bring her a little something to cheer her up.

"Edward, are you still there?" she said.

"Yeah, I'm here," I responded. "I'm sorry for the short notice. It was a spur-of-the-moment idea because I was told my work wouldn't be able to start again for at least an hour."

"They told you it would be an hour?" she groaned.

"Is your IT department saying the same thing?" I asked. "They don't have the whole building on one network do they?"

"Um, no," Bella replied. "They didn't tell me how long it would be, actually. I was just, uh, I just felt bad for you."

"Don't," I said. "I could use a little break to tell you the truth."

"Really?"

"Really," I decided it was time to exert my right and fulfill my responsibility as Bella's boyfriend. Even if I hadn't officially earned that title, yet, I could tell that she was stressed, and a little mid-day romance was sure to help. "And you could clearly use a break, too. So, tell your IT people to do their jobs and leave them to it, while I get you away from your computer for an hour."

"I'm not really sure," she hesitated.

"Bella," I growled. "It won't do any one any good if you go hungry stressing. Come and have lunch with me."

"Okay," she sighed. "I'm getting my coat right now, and I'll meet you in the lobby."

"Why don't I meet you at your office," I offered. "I'd like to walk you down."

"No," Bella sounded panicked. "I mean, I'm already on the way, and its so chaotic right now. I'd rather show you around when things aren't going to hell."

"Okay," I said slowly.

I heard more muffled shuffling and then a deep breath before Bella asked, "Where did you want to eat?"

 **… or what, or who? LOL. More of Voiceoverward and his Bella AND Mobster and his Rose tomorrow girls.**


	5. Chapter 5 - Mobwards Always Win

**Chapter 5 – Mobwards Always Win**

 **A/N – Happy Saturday! The week of Sunflower Fran's birthday present is still rolling…**

Bella and I settled on a little Italian bistro a couple of blocks from the office building for our quick lunch date. Both of us huddled under my umbrella to escape the ever-present rain for the quick walk, and then were quickly seated in a corner booth at the back of the restaurant.

She shivered in her seat, tugging at the sleeves of the forest green wrap dress as I was hanging up her coat on a hook just outside our booth.

"I guess that's not very warm?" I asked.

"It's actually pretty good, but I think a little drizzle landed on the back of my neck," she explained.

I slid in close and placed my hand, still warm from holding her close to me as we walked, on the opposite side over her neck. I was tempted to knead away the tension I could see in her shoulders, but didn't want to embarrass both of us if the waitress came at the wrong moment. So, I merely cupped her elegant neck in my hand for a moment, letting the heat of my palm seep into her soft skin as we locked eyes with each other.

"Thanks," she whispered. I took my cue to pull away.

"Any time," I responded with a smile. "If you want my sweater, just let me know."

She shook her head and I smirked at her before picking up my menu. There were a few specials that looked delicious and were promised to be served fast. After comparing notes, we each decided on one and some soda, agreeing that caffeine was the wiser choice than alcohol in the middle of a work day. I signaled to the waitress and placed our orders.

"I could get used to this," Bella said.

"Me taking care of you?" I asked hopefully.

"Well, yes," Bella looked down in her lap blushing, "But I was actually thinking about leaving the office for lunch. It's a nice treat."

"Seeing you is definitely a treat for me," I countered. "But just in case you're getting suspicious, I didn't bring down the building's network just so I could take you to lunch."

"Well I wasn't suspicious until you denied it." Bella cocked her head and tapped her lips as if she was now giving this theory serious thought.

I held up my hands in a gesture of innocence. "Hey," I protested. "The way I see it, I'm not the one with the mad technology skills that was able to start her own company. Can't the same knowledge one would use to develop an app be used to take down a building's network?"

Bella blushed even deeper, now looking at something over my shoulder. "I like to think my skills are only used for good and not evil."

"I'm sure they are," I insisted. "I'm sure whatever it is you do, you're benefitting people in some way. It's who you are."

Bella's eyes widened at my declaration. "I guess I never thought of myself that way."

Our food arrived, which gave me a minute to think over how Bella may think of herself. Despite her usual composure, it was clear that she had a difficult time with confidence. It wasn't just the shyness she'd always exhibited. I could tell that she didn't believe that she was special, though it was obvious to me.

"Why don't we toast today to seeing ourselves in a new light?" I offered, raising my cup after we were alone again.

Bella smiled and clicked with me, but her expression became a little troubled as we set down our tumblers.

"Your lip does look delicious, but don't you think you should try your pasta," I teased.

She stopped biting her lower lip and started twirling her fork in the dish in front of her. But, I noticed her eyebrows were still scrunched together as she stared at her lunch.

"What's wrong, Bella," I asked, my voice gentle.

"Nothing is wrong, exactly," she said. "I was just thinking about how we met. I was feeling kind of guilty."

"Why should you feel guilty?" I asked, completely confused. "You never said or did anything to feel guilty about back then or now." I didn't say it aloud, but if either one of us should be ashamed of the time when we met it should be me. I was the adult who had fantasized about the college girl who housesat for me and my wife.

"No," Bella admitted. "I never said or did anything, but I may have thought some things that I really didn't have any business thinking about a married man."

"Bella," I whispered, taking her hand. "That's beyond flattering, honestly. But, the truth is, I had no idea that you thought of me that way until you just said so."

"Really?" she blinked. "I thought you could read my mind with how nervous I was around you. I mean, I was always thinking about you."

"You were?" I prodded. An evil crooked smile spread over my face as I squeezed her hands a little tighter.

Bella caught my expression and her seriousness fell away. "Would you like a round of applause," she teased, pulling free of my hands and pretending to get ready to clap.

I shook my head. "Just very pleasantly surprised," I said. I let the comment hang as we both took a few bites of our lunch.

"Although, it does make me wonder," I started the conversation again, at bit hesitantly. "Maybe I had an unfair advantage. Maybe I'm not the guy you really thought I was, and you've allowed me to take you out because of the fantasy, not the reality."

Bella shook her head swallowing, before insisting, "The reality has been much more potent that the fantasy, trust me."

"That's good to hear," I grinned. "So are you going to let that guilt go? Neither of us have anything to be ashamed of for thinking things we didn't act on."

Bella nodded slowly.

"Good," I said. "And I'm not ashamed of how I feel about you now, either. Or that I want to act on those feelings, once we get to know each other a little better, of course." I tacked on the end, realizing that Bella may take my assurances of my desire for her as pressure that I wouldn't wait for her to be ready.

"There are some things you should probably know before this goes further," Bella said. In that moment, she wasn't the worried young girl, but the strong woman again. I wondered at the change, but there was no doubt that I liked both sides of her personality.

"Go ahead," I said, gesturing with a fork still in my hand.

"Maybe a workday lunch isn't the time to get into it," she hedged.

"How about just a hint then?" I pushed. "You don't want to keep me up all night wondering, do you?"

Bella shook her head again. My gaze was caught by a lock of hair that had twisted its way around her neck and under the collar of her dress.

"Well," I pushed the last bit of my lunch around, pondering how to get her to either stop worrying or let me in so I could help. I decided to try a distraction technique. "Since you don't want to talk about you right now, is there anything you'd like to know about me that you haven't asked?"

Bella leaned back in surprise, blinking. "Wouldn't that be a double standard?" she asked. "Is it fair of me to ask you something if I'm not ready to share."

"Life if full of double-standards," I shrugged. "It's not like I have any huge secrets I need to keep, but if you did ask something I wasn't ready to share I'd just say so."

As I said this, I thought about my instinct to hide the fact of my voice-over work from Bella. Though I wasn't quite ready to volunteer that, I did feel that I'd eventually want her to know about it. Despite my initial embarrassment over the subject and my desire to kill Emmett for taking me by surprise, having almost a full week of reading behind me had given me a new perspective.

If anything was a double standard, it was how our society treated sex. The fact that the passages I read were supposed to be for "mature audiences," while stories about violence or any number of prejudice and hate speech could be freely shouted from the streets was a good indication of just how messed up of how our supposed "values" had become. I hoped that Bella would agree with me on that, but was sure that no matter her opinion, discussing it with her would be interesting.

Bella swallowed, and I was brought back to the present by the silky curl that had crept where my fingers were aching to explore. I reached across the table and tucked it back behind Bella's shoulder so I could concentrate.

"Ask me one question," I urged.

Bella blinked a few times before letting out a long gush of words. "You said you were old-fashioned, but I'm not sure what that means? Do you think that life should be like it was in the past century or something? Is one of the things you're old fashioned about sex?"

The last word was barely a breath, but there was no doubt that I heard it. My cock definitely heard it, too. We were both quite happy that Bella's mind was traveling in a similar direction.

Unfortunately, it was just at that moment that the check arrived. I cleared my throat.

"Oh god," Bella said, placing her face in her hands. "I can't believe I just asked you that in the middle of a restaurant."

"It's fine, Bella," I assured her, tugging on her wrist. "Don't hide from me."

She obediently placed her hands in her lap, but her expression was still worried as she looked up at me from under her lashes.

I thought for a minute in order to give her the best answer I could. "When I say I'm old fashioned," I said. "I mean that I believe in doing a lot of things that it seems most people, especially men, don't care about any more, like having good manners."

Bella nodded, still looking wary.

"But, I am a man," I insisted, my voice going unintentionally deeper. "And I am very interested in sex, and, no, I don't think two people have to be married to enjoy it. I have had sex with other women besides my wife. I've even had a few one night stands."

Bella's eyes went wide at this, and I put up a hand. "Before Tanya," I said. "Not during my marriage, and I haven't been with anyone since."

"Why is that?" Bella asked, cocking her head. "I mean," she started blushing furiously before stammering a string of nonsense syllables.

I laughed, which made her stop and look up at me. "Just because there's nothing wrong with casual sex doesn't mean I didn't want more," I stated.

"More?" she asked.

"We'll have to discuss that later," I said, standing and holding out my hand to help her up.

"Later," she repeated, holding my gaze as a promise.

We said goodbye in the elevator, as Bella said she wanted to make a phone call to her IT people before heading up. I kissed her cheek before heading upward, leaving her blushing with her cell in her hand.

The news in the studio was good. Ben let me know that everything was up and running and he had even managed to sneak out for a little while himself, so we were both refueled and ready to get some work done.

I slipped my headphones on and let the character I'd been inhabiting that morning fall back into place. Just before I began performing, I had the thought that some might think he was an old-fashioned guy, but he certainly wasn't how I wanted Bella to feel about me.

"Okay, Edward" Ben's voice interrupted my musing. "Right where we left off, he just commanded her to take his pants off."

"Right," I said, nodding my head and turning to exact spot I needed in the script.

 _Her expression turned from tender to terrified, but she smoothed her features so quickly I forced myself to ignore it. I refused to think about who I was and all the many good reasons a young woman would have to be afraid of me, of the stories behind my scars. I wanted to think of nothing but the feeling of my skin against hers._

 _Understanding my impatience, Rose wasn't slow and seductive in helping me out of the rest of my clothes. She didn't even react when my cock sprung free as she pulled my boxers down and helped me kick off my shoes and socks._

 _I stood before her completely naked, while she still wore her dress and shoes. It helped me let go a little bit more. Though I knew I was in no way vulnerable to this delicate female who was under contract to follow my every command tonight, the moment helped us start to connect by creating an illusion of power shifting._

 _"Turn around," I told her._

 _As she followed my direction, we each caught our reflection in the mirror. I held her wide-eyed gaze as I pulled her zipper down, revealing a blue lace bra and matching panties. It fell to her feet and I took in her supple curves in the mirror before stepping back to admire her ass close up._

 _"Fucking perfect," I said. My cock bobbed in eager agreement._

 _Rose seemed transfixed by the sight of it in the mirror. She refused to look at herself, while I couldn't stop looking between the two of us._

 _"Take the rest off," I told her. Once again, she followed my instruction without hesitation or comment. Her bra came off first; I had no idea if she just dropped it or flung it somewhere, because I could not tear my eyes away from her bare breasts. They were perfectly shaped and naturally high, each just a bit more than a handful for me. Her erect nipples were dusty rose._

 _I couldn't resist stroking myself a bit when she hooked her thumbs into her panties and bent over slightly to pull them down her hips. I watched completely transfixed as the fabric travelled over her toned legs and she stepped out, straightening up again. Her bitable ass tempted me for just a moment before she turned back, and I could finally see her pussy. She was neatly trimmed, which is just what I liked. I couldn't stand the full-wax that made women look like little girls._

 _Normally, I took women from behind, as it was easier to keep my eyes on their hands and any other possible threat. But, this wasn't my usual kind of woman, and this wasn't just any other night. I wasn't looking to come for a simple release; I wanted more in every way._

 _"Lie down on the bed," I said, gesturing and following behind her as she crossed the room and settled down, not bothering to pull back any of the blankets or sheets._

 _I climbed on after her, placing a knee on either side of her hips and my hands an inch outside her shoulders. I watched her chest rise and fall for a few breaths as we each wordlessly communicated with each other. I saw her surrender to me as she gazed up. I hoped she saw my promise to give her something special in exchange for the rare experience she was so perfectly delivering for me._

 _I knew if I tried to say anything, or even if I thought too long about all the things I wanted from this woman – her desire to please me, her submission, and her lust, but also her affection – I would spoil the experience for myself. I needed a release now, the pretending would come easier and I could do more later._

 _I matched her silence as I lined my cock up with her entrance._

 _"Please," she whispered. "Not too fast."_

 _I nodded, wanting to take her slowly at first for myself. With my cock still in my hand, I moved just the very tip of my head through her lips, teasing her folds to hit not just her entrance but her clit. Rose inhaled a ragged breath just as I pushed inside._

 _Her heat enveloped me so tightly I lost control the moment I was inside her, falling on top of her rather that continuing to hold myself up by my other arm. The pleasure of her soft walls engulfing me fully was so intense, I couldn't resist the need to move, to feel more, to take more from her._

 _I kept my face pressed into her sweet-smelling hair, spread out over the pillow, rather than look at her face, as I moved. She lay stiff and still beneath me at first, but after a few strokes, and my fingers pressing against her clit, she began to move her hips in tandem with me._

 _I knew I couldn't last long. I wanted to stop and pull her on top of me, to prolong this by making her take control and ride me, but the small part of my brain that wasn't completely lost to the pleasure told me this would not work well._

 _So I took everything for myself. I dove inside her and sunk my teeth into her neck, relishing in the sound of her voice as she cried out to god. Sooner than I could have expected, I felt my climax starting to build. I pulled back to change the angle of my thrusts, now hitting her sensitive nub more with my cock, as my hands found her breasts._

 _I just wanted more of her, as I kneaded her flesh and ran my thumbs over her nipples in time with my grinding into her. Apparently, this was a stronger erogenous zone for her than many other women, because as her peaks twisted under my thumbs, her pussy gripped me even harder and her mouth fell open in a silent scream._

 _Her orgasm triggered my own and I came harder than I could ever remember, continuing to thrust. Blackness clouded my vision as I collapsed onto her the final time._

 _My body was singing with a pulse like an electric current as I came down and caught my breath. My brain was slightly slower to recover, but it didn't take long for a few conclusions to form. It was my turn to be tight-lipped, as I rolled off of Rose and looked at her in a completely different light._

 _She hadn't yet opened her eyes. Her lips were swollen from my kisses, and I could see where I had left marks on her pale skin from my eager fingers and mouth._

 _I left her on the bed, as I went to the bathroom and turned on the water to fill the giant tub. Knowing that would take a while, I washed myself up a bit in the separate shower. When I stepped out, I slung a towel over my hips and turned off the faucet, checking that the temperature was good._

 _I didn't know what to expect of Rose, and apparently she was feeling at a loss, too. She was sitting up on the side of the bed, staring down at her feet, still completely naked. I scooped her up in my arms and carried her to the tub. She winced and gripped me a little tighter when her body hit the water, and I made soothing sounds as she sunk deeper._

 _"Just soak for a bit, it will make you feel better," I told her._

 _She nodded, looking up at me with wide eyes. "What are you going to do?" she asked in a somewhat hoarse whisper that sounded loud bouncing off the tile of the room._

 _"I've got to make a phone call," I said. "And then we'll have dinner, just like I said." I quirked an eyebrow at her, reminding her of what else I had promised. I didn't want her to think that had changed for me._

 _Rose didn't say anything, turning away from me to stare at the gleaming taps._

 _That pretty much confirmed my suspicions, but I still wanted to be sure. As soon as I stepped out of the bathroom, I grabbed my cell phone from my pants pocket._

 _I didn't give him a chance to say a single syllable when the call connected. "Who is she?" I growled._

 _"She's just a girl, like you wanted," my second in command answered. "I thought you wanted one night, no details."_

 _"Fuck what I said," I replied. "She's not here because someone's paying her, is she?"_

 _"Technically, no."_

 _"Explain. Right fucking now."_

 _"Remember that sleaze ball that had some bad luck with the ponies and couldn't pay up?"_

 _I didn't like where this was going at all. An unfamiliar twisting feeling was forming in my stomach. "I told you that he could either find the money or find himself on the bottom of a lake," I replied._

 _"Right," he sounded uneasy, as he should be if he had deviated from the letter of my instructions. "But, you also said that you'd pay any price for a night with a woman who wasn't a hardened whore or a scheming witch."_

 _"Why'd she do it?" I growled, now looking at the closed bathroom door, and not really expecting an answer to come over the phone._

 _"She's his daughter," came the reply. "I guess he talked her into it." Then quickly he added. "Don't worry, she's over eighteen. She's in college, though, so she still lives with him."_

 _"Not anymore she fucking doesn't. Tell the scumbag the deal has changed."_

 _"No problem," I could hear the relief that I had given him instructions. He was smart enough to know if I wanted him to do something for me, he wouldn't be dead in less than five seconds._

 _"And get that girl we hired to decorate last year on the phone. Tell her we need her to do some shopping – a complete wardrobe and anything else a woman needs to be comfortable if she's moving into a new place."_

 _"Got it," he said. "We'll set her up real good, boss."_

 _I hung up without responding. There were plenty of details to figure out, and I had no idea how difficult Rose would be when I told her she wasn't going to ever see her father again. But, for now, I had the rest of the night to take her willingly and sweetly._

"Perfect," Ben's voice was calm and professional in my headphones. "That all laid down beautifully, Edward."

"Yeah, that's what she said," I responded. My pulse was racing, but it had nothing to do with the scene I'd been reading or the adrenaline of performing. It had everything to do with the promise of later…

 **A/N – Hope you enjoyed the Mobward. I actually started with that scene when I first planned this present for Sunflower Fran. There are many great fics in her favorites if you are looking for more of that genre.**


	6. Chapter 6 - Weekend Slam

Chapter 6 – On the Weekend We Slam!

 **A/N – Thanks again for all who are reading and celebrating a week of Sunflower Fran's birthday with me. I love all your comments and reviews.**

Maybe I was turning into a walking cliché, but I couldn't bring myself to care as I paced back and forth in front of the coffee shop, a bouquet of daisies in one hand and a fistful of my own hair in the other.

Since I had tasted Bella's lips, I was like a junkie who after getting that first taste, was in desperate need of my next hit. Our mid-week lunch date had been great, but I was really looking forward to an evening with her that didn't have a strict end time.

Emmett had threatened me with all sorts of punishments for breaking the bro-code. But, I silenced him with the reminder that I had never agreed to any of his plans, and a few hints that my weekend would involve someone female, young, and incredibly beautiful. I may have insinuated that if he wanted details, he should lay off the texts for a while. He didn't need to know that I would absolutely not be sharing details of my time with Bella with him. Perhaps if he behaved, I'd throw him a bone in the form of one of the scripts I'd been working on.

Every sentence I read at my new job painted delicious images in my head and they were all of Bella. When I wasn't reading about panting, sweating, climaxes, I was thinking about her smile and laugh. I wanted to know what she was thinking just about every waking moment, and images colored my dreams when I drifted off to sleep every night – sometimes with my hands around my phone as I tried to reach inside Bella's brain and get her to text me, and sometimes holding a script for my next audible sex scene that made me hunger for her so deeply I could still feel the heat of her on my mouth.

But, the still somewhat functional rational part of my brain knew that I had to keep it light. So, while I had wanted to suggest taking her away for the weekend to some romantic spa where I could spoil her with treatments all day and ravish her body all night, I had held back on that suggestion.

Instead, we were meeting at a coffee shop in Seattle for a "story slam," event.

If I were being honest, this may not even technically count as a date, because I had included myself in Bella's plans when she mentioned that it was something she intended to go to. But, I was going to do my best to make it a date. After determining online that there wasn't a cover charge, I made sure to stop at a florist so I had something to present to Bella to start our evening right.

Not wanting to be too over-the-top, I passed over the roses and selected a small bouquet of white and blue blooms. Remembering that each flower had a meaning, I'd googled the name the florist gave me. According to , freesia meant spirited. Being near Bella had certainly raised my spirits and I hoped to let her know that I appreciated her independent spirit, even when it drove me insane.

"Sorry I'm running late," the voice I'd been anxious to hear was unexpectedly close behind me, "Have you been waiting long?"

I turned around so quickly that I almost shoved the bouquet into Bella's chest, but I rocked back on my heels at the last minute. The flowers filled the small space between us and the petals danced as I breathed a sigh of relief at seeing her beautiful face again.

"Beautiful," the word passed through my lips without me giving it conscious thought. Bella blushed and cast her eyes down. I wondered if she was embarrassed by the fervent tone in my voice, or if she was just that unused to compliments.

Trying to lighten the mood, I answered her question. "I haven't been here long at all. And besides, you're actually five minutes earlier than you said you would be, so if I had been waiting it would be my own fault for being so impatient."

Bella's smile widened. "Well, I guess you weren't the only one who was impatient."

"Shall we go in?" I asked. At her nod, I approached the door and held it open for her.

We stepped into a surprisingly large room, with a counter of gleaming coffee pots and glass-encased sweets right ahead of us. To the left, the space opened up with rows of tiny black tables, some pushed together to hold larger groups, but mostly with just two chairs on either side. The far wall was painted black and there was a narrow platform with a single stool and microphone stand that gathered the eyes of nearly everyone in the room, as a sense of expectation seemed to buzz over the whoosh of the cappuccinos being steamed.

Most of the seats were already taken with a wide variety of people of different ages, all manner of dress and just about every hair color nature or dye-manufacturers could produce – from silver gray to violent green.

"Why don't you grab us a couple of seats and I'll order our coffee?" I suggested.

Bella was shaking her head. "I was supposed to be treating you," she said, pouting. "It was my idea to come here."

I laughed lightly at her stubborn expression. "Actually, the way I see it, I owe you a drink for crashing your plans."

Bella started to protest, but I raised my hand to point at the slow trickle of people still coming in the door. "We're going to be left standing if you keep arguing with me," I insisted. "Do you have a favorite?"

She rolled her eyes at my transparent effort to get her to acquiesce, but didn't put up any further argument.

"I'll have a mocha and a sesame biscotti," she replied. "But, you should let them know we're staying for the slam and they'll let you pay at the end of the night. You never know how long these things are going to run; we both might need more caffeine and sustenance to get through it." With these words, she quirked an eyebrow in challenge, clearly trying to scare me off with the threat of hours of amateur story-telling.

I nodded in mock solemnity and waved a hand to once again encourage her to get us a seat. Bella shook her head once again but turned and started toward the far side of the room. I watched her weave through the narrow spaces of randomly-determined aisles for a minute, enjoying the view perhaps a bit too much before turning back toward the counter.

Little did Bella know my new-found tolerance for all kinds of fiction. I felt a self-conscious heat on the back of my neck as I thought about the scripts now safely enclosed in a manila envelope in my attaché. I shook my head before I could start to really consider what Bella might think of my part-time job. Our work lives were still technically off the table at this stage of getting to know each other.

A heavily pierced barista took my order and then began to expertly steam the milk and pull the shots. While the drinks were being made, I was able to grab two plates with a biscotti for each of us and head to our table before going back to retrieve the steaming mugs. Surprisingly. Bella had picked seats almost at the back and in the far right side of the room. I'd expected her to want to be right up front given how much she had wanted to come, but was pleased that we'd have a little more privacy.

She seemed to be searching in the pocket of her coat, which she had draped over the back of her chair as I reached the table. At the sound of my pulling out the chair next to her, she jumped a little and flushed, biting her lip.

"Did you lose something?" I asked, concerned at her troubled expression.

"No," she replied, shaking her head. "Just getting settled."

Something about her tone made me file this away to consider later. At that moment, however, I focused on getting our drinks and settle next to Bella before the stories started. Even in casual environments like this, I hated to be the person blocking someone's view or causing a distraction by walking around tables while someone was speaking.

Thankfully, I was just able to place the nearly over-flowing mugs down and slide into my seat next to Bella as a disturbingly skinny man walked up to the microphone and greeted the crowd. He explained that anyone who wanted to share that evening could put their names down on the clipboard at the side of the stage, and could read or speak off the top of their heads for up to ten minutes.

While he was elaborating on the rules of the evening and reminding the audience to be supportive to those who were willing to share, Bella leaned over and whispered in my ear.

"That's Jasper Hale," she informed me. "He opened this place about five years ago. We graduated college together and had the same bad luck trying to find a job. But, he had some family money that helped him get this place off the ground."

"Oh," I offered, wondering if I had just been introduced to my competition. "Old Seattle coffee money?"

Bella shook her head and let out a giggle. "He'd think it was funny you said that," she replied. "His parents are actually from the Deep South, so it's like really old money, but he moved up here to get away from all that. To hear him tell it, his parents expected him to still be a soldier still fighting the Civil War."

"So, you two are good friends?" I asked, hesitatingly.

Bella shrugged, then caught my burning gaze. She bit her lip and started to backpedal. "It's more that our business networks are strongly connected. We do each other a lot of favors in terms of making the right contacts."

I wanted to ask more, as I was extremely curious how a coffee shop owner could help Bella make the right contacts for her business, but the first storyteller of the night was making their way up to the stage.

The next two hours passed surprisingly quickly. The stories ranged from bizarrely funny to tear-jerking, and I enjoyed listening more than I expected. But, none of the speakers was nearly as enthralling to me as watching Bella's reaction. She wasn't just letting the stories wash over her, there was an intensity in her expression that told me she was hearing things on a totally different level.

Every once in a while, she'd offer me a little insight, such as "that guy really knows the small things that can bring the audience into the moment with him" or "that one got the emotion across, but she didn't know how to structure the narrative." I couldn't say that I actually understood half of what she meant, but there was no doubt in my mind that she knew what she was talking about. It made me even more determined to never reveal the part-time gig that was financing my social life.

After an hour, Jasper returned to the stage, informing the crowd that all the time slots for the night had been filled and there would be speakers on for another ninety minutes. A loud growl came from my stomach at that point, as if in protest. Bella giggled and we missed the beginning of the next speaker as we whispered to each other about getting something a little more sustaining than the biscotti.

I let Bella stay in her seat while I went to order a couple of paninis and some more coffee. Standing off to the side of the counter, I tensed as I sensed someone approach me from behind.

"How long have you known Bella?" the guy she had told me was Jasper asked. I was slightly put off by his question without even an introduction. I also didn't like the possessive tone in his voice, but was determined to be polite since she had said he was important to her business.

"About five years, actually," I informed him. "But we just recently reconnected. She had a lot of nice things to say about you and this place." I finished, hoping to smooth over what I could feel easily turning into a testosterone-loaded pissing match.

Jasper snorted. "I'm sure she did," he said. "That's Bella. She'd never say that these story slams keep me in business. People travel hours to get a shot at being heard by the right set of ears." He nodded toward the stage.

I frowned, pondering his words. Was Jasper saying that the story slams had been her idea? I had no doubt Bella was modest about many things; she didn't see herself clearly enough to know how amazing she was. I was curious exactly how her business tied into this kind of event. The only thing I knew for certain about her company was it had something to do with an app her friend had developed and allowed her to use her literature degree. It made sense that she was involved in publishing, but how exactly?

I felt like I was at a definite disadvantage trying to have a conversation with Jasper, and I would much prefer to learn about Bella's accomplishments from her. Thankfully, my order was ready before he could say more and I made my way back to the table.

Bella turned as I sat down and shot a smile at Jasper, who waved back.

Once again, I was caught up in the story-tellers and Bella's commentaries. I barely noticed what I was eating, and before I knew it, the plates in front of us were empty and Bella was leaning against me. I imagined she was feeling drowsy from the carbs and the long day, as I was.

I applauded with everyone else when Jasper thanked everyone for coming out, surprised at how much I had enjoyed the entertainment. As we stood up, I reached for Bella's coat so that I could help her put it on. She blushed a deep shade of pink that made its way down her neck, but didn't protest as I slid it over her shoulders. I resisted the temptation to button it for her as I had before, considering we were in public. Instead, I bent down to retrieve my own jacket from my chair and noticed Bella pull out her smart phone and make a few nervous taps. I figured she was turning the ringer back on, but was surprised at how guilty she looked about it.

I was just about to go ask for our check, when Jasper approached us, a little black tray with a paper receipt and a credit card in his hands.

I frowned as he handed it to Bella, who took the paper and started to search for her wallet in her case. The credit card laid face up, taunting me with her name above the words "Tua Cantante,LLP."

"Please don't be mad," Bella whispered, seeing me frown. "I really was planning to come here for business, even though I ended up enjoying it being a date with you, and if I don't account for all the expenses I incur, my financial department has a hissy fit, and that's really something I try to avoid, even though you said you wanted to pay, you see, I kind of needed to put it on the company card."

I couldn't help myself from laughing at her word vomit. "I'm not mad, Bella," I said. "But you do realize that you now owe me the opportunity to treat you twice. And, I hope your CFO won't be mad at you for picking up my part of the bill."

Bella smiled while shaking her head. "You offered me your opinion, that's called market research and a completely justifiable business expense." She shyly picked up the bouquet of freesia and blushed into the petals. The contrast of this image to what she had just said was beyond adorable.

I laughed again and put my arm around her waist. "I just hope I'm never summoned for an audit, because I'm sure I'd be discovered as a fraud when it comes to literature."

Bella leaned into my embrace, inhaling and closing her eyes, as if she needed to savor the moment as much as I did. I took advantage of her closeness and placed my lips to her sweet-smelling hair, before leading her out of the café, each of us waving again to Jasper.

"I'm just parked over there," Bella motioned to far corner of the lot as we stepped outside.

"I'll walk you to your car," I said, not giving her an option as I turned in that direction while still keeping her tucked close to me, my hand resting in the curve of her tiny waist.

Bella thankfully didn't argue. When we arrived next to her vehicle, I let her go and took a half step back. She took out her keys, unlocking the car with a remote, and turned back to me, biting her lip.

"Here we are again," I murmured in a low voice. I could practically see the memory of our first kiss play in Bella's mind as her wide, brown eyes danced across my face, finally focusing on my lips.

Bella let out a sound which was slightly more distinct than a gasp or a squeak, but still wasn't quite a full word. My lips turned up at a grin, and my pulse sped up. Seeing how she reacted to me without my even touching her was almost as good as actually holding her next to me.

But not quite. The heat of her body still burned in my side, but the need to touch her again was making the muscles of my arms ache from the effort of holding myself still. How could this girl have such a power over me? Trying to collect myself before I acted like a complete animal, I tore my gaze away from her beautiful face and glanced at the passenger seat of her car. A large black case seemed to be exploding with papers. Apparently, Bella brought her work home with her.

With sudden insight, I realized that part of the unrelenting pull I felt toward Bella was because I wasn't just attracted to her body, as tempting as that was. I thirsted for her intellect as much as I craved her physically. The mystery of how the young college student had transformed into the confident, successful business woman, who was still somewhat shy and unaware of her own power was so intriguing, I couldn't stop running over the details of Bella in my mind.

She had completed ensnared me because it was impossible for me to predict what she was thinking, she had a perspective unlike anyone I had ever met, as if her mind worked on a completely different frequency.

Most mysterious of all was how I had somehow managed to be standing close to her, watching her bite her plump lip as that delicious blush colored her cheeks. I was too selfish and hungry for her to ask myself if I was wrong to take what I may not ever be able to deserve, however.

This kiss was not slow and careful. My hands grasped her waist and pulled her body against mine in a sudden movement. Bella's head tipped back as her hips came forward, and I didn't pause to ask permission with my eyes before bringing my mouth down on hers. As her lips parted and my tongue darted between them, all the thoughts crowding my brain receded to a low hum. There was just Bella, her taste, the sound of her tiny whimpers, the feel of her in my tight embrace and the scent of her, sweeter than the flowers we had slightly crushed between us.

When we broke apart, each gasping a little for air, I couldn't control the desire I had now fully recognized. Unable to wait for her to be ready to claim her mouth again, my lips traveled to her neck. I traced her pulse with my tongue and tickled behind her ear with my nose, breathing her in and getting lost in the silk of her hair. Still it wasn't enough to satisfy the wanting that had awoken in me. It was as if a primal being had taken residence inside me, and I was no longer fully human. I nibbled at her skin, tasting her more and relishing in the way her flesh both resisted and succumbed to the pressure of my teeth.

"Please," she whimpered, and I felt her hands in fists pressed against my shoulder blades. I knew that if I asked, she would come with me back to my apartment and I could explore every inch of her delicious skin before claiming her fully. I wanted her so badly, I could take all night discovering the secret places that would make her moan and squirm.

But, I knew it was still too fast. There was too much I still wanted to know about her, and parts of myself I needed to share before I let that happen. For all I knew, Bella might just think of me as a novelty or a distraction. Though I doubted it, she could think of relationships the way so many younger people did, as fluid or even unnecessary. Would she be able to accept my need for a complete, two-sided commitment? These are questions I hadn't asked, but needed the answers to before I went to bed with her.

With a willpower I didn't even know I had, I separated from her, allowing an inch of space between our bodies and tilting my head back to look in her face. My hands moved from her waist to the tops of her arms, steadying her as she seemed slightly dizzy. All the answers to the questions I'd just considered were there in her chocolate eyes, as she stared up at me with open tenderness and trust.

"I'll call you tomorrow," I said, in as firm a tone as I could manage while I was burning with desire. I wouldn't have been surprised to see my limbs were engulfed in flames.

Bella's eyes widened in surprise, and she shook her head as if to collect herself. I rubbed her arms to relieve the tension I felt there as she slipped her hands from around my neck and down my chest. Rather than separate completely from me, however, her palms rested on my chest. I was sure she could feel the pounding of my heart and knew that she had affected me just as much as my kiss had excited her.

Suddenly shy, her gaze down from my face. I could feel her fingers playing absent-mindedly with a button on my shirt as her face scrunched up, her eyebrows pulling together.

"And I intend on taking you out again next week," I reminded her gently, as she didn't seem about to move. "Am I going to have to steal you away from the competition again?"

"Yeah," she admitted reluctantly. "I have a busy week ahead, actually." Her gaze broke away from my chest to the pile of papers on her passenger seat.

"Well, then, you should get home and get your rest. I don't want to be responsible for the boss having a bad Monday. Everyone suffers then."

At this, Bella laughed a little and the tension finally eased. She slipped into her car, and I closed the door gently, stepping back as she started the engine and put it into gear.

I stood watching as she drove away, going over the revelations of the night and all the remaining questions I had to both ask and answer for Bella.

I was tempted to start with doing a search on Tua Cantante, LLP, when I got home. I stopped myself, feeling like googling her company was as intrusive and bad form as asking her how much money she made. It was clear she was shy about her business, and I wanted to give her time to tell me more on her own, at least for now.

And, I had a script to go over.

 **A/N – Sorry for not being able to squeeze another lemon in the form of Edward's "work" into this chapter. I hope their super-sweet date made up for it. Two more chapters to this story and each has a little citrus. See you tomorrow!**


	7. Chapter 7 - Finger on the Button

Chapter 7 – Finger on the Button

 **A/N – Here's the penultimate piece of Fran's present…**

My call time for the sound studio was late afternoon on Monday, so I took advantage of my free morning to catch up on some of my own company's correspondence and paper work. It was reassuring to see the financials holding steady. That meant the paycheck from my little side project could go straight into the spoil Bella fund.

Of course, I'd have my work cut out for me to get her to actually let me spoil her. I frowned at the thought of how I still hadn't been able to take her out for a nice dinner. I wasn't even sure if I could count all of our meetings as proper dates: first drinks after work, then lunch squeezed in between work, and most recently the coffee and stories that ended up being for her work.

There was clearly a theme, and I intended on shifting that focus as quickly as possible. My expression quickly transformed into a smile when I considered possibilities for a fourth date.

Not that I'd expect anything from Bella on any certain time frame, but it seemed clear from her reactions to be that we were both eager for our physical relationship to go to the next level. That seemed to be progressing naturally and, to my mind, quite satisfactorily. I just needed to focus on getting her to open up and share a little more of herself with me on an emotional level.

To that end, the electric hum that our sexual attraction created whenever we were in the same room could be overwhelming and counterproductive to a good, wholesome conversation. Maybe it would be a good idea to see her again when we both had to stick to a schedule and a certain professional atmosphere.

Satisfied with my rationalization for another workday lunch date, I gave up holding off on calling her for another minute. I dialed her cell number, figuring that if she was too busy she'd have it shut off. I still wanted to respect her need to focus on her work, even if I was hoping she'd be willing to forget about it for a little while.

"I was just thinking about you," she answered without bothering to say hello.

I matched the smile I could hear in her voice with my own grin.

"Is that so?" I asked. "As glad as I am to hear that, I hope you're not going to decide that I'm too much of a distraction from your work."

"Actually, I think running into you again will end up being very good for business." Bella answered, sounding a bit smug.

"Don't tell me this has just been a ruse for market research, and you're developing a new app for lonely divorced men." I teased.

Bella laughed before responding. "You couldn't be further off, actually."

"Your hints are getting even more confusing," I said, not all together truthfully. "I'm going a little crazy trying to figure out what you are."

"I wish you wouldn't try." A moment of silence, then. "What if you decide you want to run away when you do figure it out?"

"Bella," I replied, disappointed that she could even think that. "Nothing could make me run away from you. I can't even imagine trying it."

"How is your day going?" she asked, changing the subject. I could hear her nerves fluttering in the short question.

"Pretty well," I said. "Although I haven't really started, yet. I was going into the office in a little bit, and wondered if you'd like to meet me again for lunch."

"Sure," Bella agreed. "I could step away for a while, and it just so happens I'm starving."

My grin spread so wide my cheeks hurt, delighted that she didn't make an excuse and would be allowing me to treat her. "How about the same place as last week? I can meet you there whenever's good for you."

"How about half an hour," Bella said. "I just need to finish up something I'm working on and pass it on to another member of the team."

I shook my head at the vagueness of her words, but quickly agreed.

Our lunch date wasn't nearly long enough, but it made me feel lighter just to see her and trade conversation for a half hour. I purposely kept the topics in the safe zones. She had gotten a rare e-mail from her mother, which allowed me to ask about that side of her family.

I could tell that being raised by divorced parents had left a mark on Bella. The way she talked about "Charlie" and "Renee" rather than calling them mom and dad revealed that she had become the peacekeeper and caretaker on some levels from an early age.

She clearly loved both of them fiercely, but in a way different than how I felt about my own parents. I knew that I'd always have my mom and dad's love and they'd be there to support me no matter what. The way Bella spoke, it was clear that she felt supporting was her job.

Our conversation continued to flow as we left the restaurant and up until we were standing by the elevator, waiting for it to take us each to our separate responsibilities for the afternoon.

Bella became suddenly quiet as we stepped in the small space and the metal doors slid closed behind us. The red tone on her cheeks from the cool outside air deepened into a delicious blush. I was staring, overcome with curiosity as to what may have made her so suddenly shy until she cleared her throat and mumbled. "I'm on three."

I looked away long enough to hit her button and my own for the fifth floor. Bella's eyes stayed trained on the floor as we began to move upward. It looked like she wasn't even breathing until we stopped and she dragged in a ragged breath.

"Thank you for lunch, Edward," she said, before stepping off.

"My pleasure, Bella," I said. "I enjoy every chance I can get to learn more about you."

I had a short glimpse of her chewing her lip as her brow furrowed before the elevator doors closed. I may have gained some ground today, but getting Bella to feel like she could really open up to me was clearly going to be a marathon, not a sprint. Good thing I loved to run and had plenty of patience.

I thought over my present dilemma as I rode the remaining floors. Determined to stay professional, I made the great effort to push Bella to the side of my mind (she could never be at the back) and went inside to greet Ben.

"Hey, Edward," he said, pushing his glasses up his nose. "I'm glad you're here. We actually had a new script come in this morning and I was hoping you'd give it a cold read."

"Sure," I said, surprised that he didn't want to work on the story I had been given previously, but willing to be flexible. They were paying me more than enough to do whatever was asked. "I'll have to read it without any different inflection for the dialogue since I don't have time to get to know the characters."

Ben nodded. He was used to working with actors and understood the difference between just reading a story and actually creating a multi-voiced performance from a script. Up until now, I had been focused on doing the later.

"That's no problem with this script," he assured me. "It's third person, so just keep it as even as you can. We're almost going for a newscaster kind of detachment. I think the heat will come through even better with a cool reader."

With no more direction, I got settled in the sound booth and glanced through the few pages on the stand in front of me. It was the shortest script I had been given so far.

"Is this all of it?" I asked into the mic.

"Yeah," Ben answered by hitting a button and allowing his voice to be amplified back into the room. "It's a new format they're working on. Half product and half marketing, really. These short stories are going to be available outside the subscription services for people to try out what the app can do. It's the boss' idea. She's calling them lemon drops."

"Lemon drops?" I responded, wondering if I'd misheard him.

"Small, sweet, and will make you pucker," Ben responded with a laugh.

I joined him, shaking my head. Romance and erotic fiction were a whole new world, with their own language. But obviously whoever was paying our salaries knew what they were doing, because Ben had told me he'd been working for over a year, and the bonuses and checks for special projects kept coming.

We went over the usual tests to make sure the microphone was set properly and the digital tracks were ready to go. After about ten minutes of saying the usual nonsense phrases that covered all the sounds we needed to have right, I was ready to read the new script.

 _She caught the scent of his cologne a moment before he came into view, just as the elevator doors were about to close._

 _Without thinking about it, she pressed the button to make them reverse, revealing him standing just on the other side like curtains parting on a stage. The idea so implanted itself in her mind, that even though there was no physical barrier between them, that he inhabited a different sphere while she remained invisible and irrelevant, that she almost couldn't believe it when their eyes met and he broke into a grin._

 _"Thank-you," he said, before turning to press the button for his floor._

 _She squeaked a response, and then stared at his shoes. It was incredible being this close to the man that she had fantasized about so often. Though the logical side of her brain knew that they were both human and odds were that, working in the same building, they would occasionally cross paths, it was far too much for her to hope for that she would share an elevator with him._

 _Her eyes closed as she savored the moment before panic overtook her delight. She should say something, be witty and charming so as to make a good impression, but she was convinced that she would only say the wrong thing if she tried. It was that way whenever they spoke; she was always embarrassing herself._

 _Suddenly, the familiar sensation of her body being silently shot upward ceased. She opened her eyes, expecting to see him walking off the elevator and hoping that she'd have time to figure out what floor they were on before the doors closed again._

 _But the smooth, silver wall remained in place beside her. It wasn't a perfect mirror, but she could make out his face well enough to see that he was cocking an eyebrow at her reflection, as if in challenge._

 _"See something you like?" he said._

 _She foolishly turned to look at the opposite corner of the elevator, as if there could be someone else he was talking to. But, they were alone on an elevator that she now realized was completely still between floors. A small light flashed, but no alarm sounded._

 _As she turns back to him, she sees a small key in his hand, which he is placing in an inside pocket of his jacket. Her eyes move to the control panel where the hole for such a key winks back at her, the crooked line that was vertical when she stepped on now horizontal._

 _"I've noticed you watching me," he says. "But, you're shy, aren't you little one?"_

 _She nods. The realization of what may be about to happen is slow to make its way into her mind, but her body is already preparing. Her breaths are shorter than normal, her lips are parted and her lids are heavy with the lust she so often tries to hide._

 _"I like shy girls," he tells her as he moves close, his fingers ghosting over her jaw as if he was tapping out a secret message. Her eyes fall to his chest, and he takes her hands and places them on his pecs. She moans and she feels the hard muscles beneath his shirt. Though he is not bulky, she can tell that he is strong and can imagine how good he would look naked._

 _"Undress me," he whispers in her ear. "Then I'll do you."_

 _Her eyes widen. She wonders if she has the nerve to go through with this. She's watched him and she knows enough that this will not be the start of any romantic tale. But, it is more than she had ever hoped for to have the opportunity to feel him, to have a memory of something real to draw on when she reaches between her legs in the middle of the night, desperate with her need for him._

 _"Don't make me wait," he says. "I'm a busy man you know."_

 _Her hands tremble as she begins to obey. The silk tie slides easily through her hands as she loosens the knot and then begins to work on the buttons that line his chest. She notices the third from the top is a different size and shape. She pictures a scene like this one, only with a woman more certain of herself. She wonders how many times he's had his clothes removed, of how many buttons he's had to replace after an accident with a lover who was just a little too anxious._

 _The curiosity and self-doubt are replaced by desire, however, when she reaches for his belt and sees the impressive bulge straining against his pants._

 _She's never thought the word beautiful about a cock before, but that is all that comes to mind when it springs loose of the boxers that she pushes to the ground._

 _He doesn't take nearly as long undressing her, as she is wearing a simple sweater dress that he removes in one smooth pull, her arms raising automatically when he gets the fabric above her waist. He doesn't fulfil the promise of completely undressing her, though, leaving her in her bra and panties as he grabs her ass and lifts her onto the railing of the elevator. Her feet swing wildly in the air as she tries to wrap around him, but he pushes her thighs apart with his elbows._

 _"Spread wide and rest your feet on the rails," he growls into her ear as he pushes her panties aside and inserts a finger into her hot core._

 _"Oh," she moans, her head rolling back against the corner as her thighs begin to burn from the position she is trying to hold._

 _"So wet for me," he growls. "That's a good girl." He brings his finger to his lips and tastes her and she feels more wetness flood her panties at the sight. "So sweet."_

 _She doesn't have time to respond before he pulls the panties to the side again with one hand while he rips open a condom with his teeth and then hands it to her._

 _"Put it on me," he demands, and she instantly obeys. Her hand wraps around his shaft for a moment before she slides the latex down and lifts her head to look up at him again._

 _He enters her in one swift movement and she gasps. Her feet slip a little and her ass falls a few inches against the wall._

 _"No, you don't," he growls and lifts her back into place as he jerks his hips, pounding into her and pressing her thighs open wide again so her feet can find their resting place._

 _"Stay right there beautiful," he says. "I'm going to make you come twice before I do, so just hold tight."_

 _He makes good on the first half of his promise by pinching her clit after a few minutes. She sees stars and hopes that the elevator is soundproof and that no one has called a repair person after getting tired of waiting._

 _She is just coming down from the euphoric high when she feels her muscles losing control again, and she is tensing around him as he lets out a string of profanity that she can't help but admire for his creativity._

 _They climax at exactly the same moment and her feet fall to the ground once more as his knees buckle. She stands in her bra and panties, still twisted and leaving her leaking pussy exposed as he gathers up his clothes. Sooner than she would have thought possible, he is fully clothed, looking as immaculate as he always does._

 _She still hasn't moved when he picks up her dress and hands it to her, then turns back to the elevator control panel, taking the key back out of his breast pocket and giving life once again to the motor._

 _She has just enough time to slide the fabric back over her head and smooth it down to her knees once again before she hears the ding and looks up to see him stepping off._

 _Before the doors close, however, he turns back and leans his head into the elevator again. "Tomorrow, leave the panties at home, gorgeous."_

 _She falls back against the wall, eyelids too heavy to remain open anymore. She sees only blackness until there is another ding and she forces herself to exit the setting of a scene she would never have allowed herself to imagine._

"Perfect," Ben said. "That's another slam dunk from 'one-take Edward.'"

"You know, I think I've had better nicknames," I responded.

"I'm sure you have," he said. "Can you take twenty while I get this set-up to send to BB, and then we'll start on the other script?"

"No problem," I replied, then slid my earphones off and hung them on the mic stand. The stool I used for recording wasn't particularly comfortable, so I wandered out of the booth and took a seat on the sofa that was placed just outside the door.

Waiting with very little to think about, my fingers started playing with the button of my shirt, just as the woman in the lemon drop had done, and just as Bella had done last night.

How had I not seen the truth from the start? I wondered. Perhaps it was too easy to shrug off coincidences and focus on the differences between reality and fantasy. None of the men in the stories I read were that much like me. I hoped.

No, I thought. Comparing what I felt for Bella, and who each of us were to the stories I was reading was as ridiculous as comparing the actual experience of making love to a woman with the kind of movie that implied that all plumbers were paid in blow jobs.

Who could be that much of an idiot?

As if in answer, my phone went off from inside my attaché. I'd forgotten to turn it off since I was so distracted with my thoughts. That would have been embarrassing enough, as I tried to be respectful of the need to eliminate unnecessary noise around the recordings, but it happened to be Emmett who was calling. I still hadn't changed his ring tone since the last time he'd gotten his hands on my phone.

I rolled my eyes as I cut off James Brown in the middle of his chant which Emmett insisted was "ride on" despite decades of listeners singing along to "right on."

"What?" I asked with an exasperated sigh.

"Holy fuck you actually answered," he said, clearly stunned.

"If you didn't think I would answer why did you call?" I responded.

"I had the perfect guilt trip all planned," Emmett said, "But now I can't think what it was. So fuck it, I'll just tell you that we are going out partying this weekend."

"Not a chance," I said. "I have plans."

"Aw, Ed, come on," Emmett said. "Aren't you over sulking, yet?

"I'm over a lot of things," I responded. If I was honest with myself, I could admit that it wasn't Emmett's fault that he didn't realize the entire universe had changed. For all he knew, my heart was still frozen with the pain of my changed life. Little did he know I had been brought to life by Bella. "But I'm still not hanging out with you when I could be taking my girlfriend out on a long-overdue romantic dinner date."

"Wait, what?" the sound of static and bangs was all I heard until he picked up the phone again. "How the hell did you end up with a girlfriend before I could take you out and show you what an epic wingman I could be. You are so selfish, Ed."

"Sorry to disappoint you with my happiness," I replied.

"Well," he huffed, "the least you can do is share some details. What does this new girlfriend look like?"

"You'll find out when you meet her," I said.

"What the fuck, I don't get details? Come on, man. I'm not going to whack off just because you tell me she has great tits. But, she does have great tits, right?"

"Just for that, it'll be another month before I subject her to my idiot best friend," I said, though I couldn't help picturing just how perfect Bella's breasts were. Emmett would probably have an aneurysm if I told him over the phone that she was twenty-five. He was known to have some control of his monstrous manners around women if he actually met them in person and he knew they were important.

"Damn," he muttered. "You're already whipped over this girl, aren't you? Does she know you've been earning money by reading porn?"

"I've been reading erotic fiction, Emmett," I corrected. I twirled the button of my shirt between my fingers again. "And, yeah, she knows."

"She doesn't have a problem with it?" he seemed insultingly surprised, especially given how much he pushed me into this job. I guess I'd have to come up with some way to thank him for that.

"I certainly hope she knows there's nothing to be ashamed of," I smiled, thinking of the ways I may convince Bella if she didn't already know how true that was. "Sex is an essential part of life, and art should celebrate all aspects of life."

"Dude, you lost me," he said. "When did art become part of this conversation? We were talking about my hard-earned commission lap dance being stolen from me."

I rolled my eyes at his over emphasis of the word hard. Some people just didn't understand subtlety.

"You know what, pal," I said. "You may not have earned anything, but I'm going to buy you a bottle of older than my girlfriend. You getting me this job might have been dumb luck, but I'll thank you for it anyway."

 **A/N- All the comments about whether Edward would figure it out have been quite amusing. So, what do you think happens next?**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8– Corporate Confession**

 **A/N – Here comes the happy ending to complete this happy birthday gift to the wonderful woman who has made so many writers happy with her generous help and support. See you at the end!**

My steps were definitely lighter as I made my way into the now familiar office-building that Friday. My recording sessions were now behind me, and it was time to pick up my paycheck. I had spoken to the finance department and told them I didn't even want them to put it in the mail. I'd be taking it right to the bank to cash and then treat my girl to the best gourmet meal in the city.

I actually caught myself humming a little under my breath as I rode the elevator. It was a sickening sweet melody I must have heard somewhere, but couldn't place. All I knew is that the notes made me envision laying Bella down on a soft bed covered in silk sheets and rose petals.

Hopefully that was still considered romantic. After some of the stuff I had read, I worried my ideas of seduction might be terribly old-fashioned. Anyway, it would still be a little while before Bella and I got to that point, so perhaps I could feel out whether she'd appreciate my ideas of tried and true scenes of romance.

Emmett had actually done his job for once. In fact, he'd been unusually efficient. He e-mailed me the location of the company's finance office and the exact time my paycheck was supposed to be ready.

There was a somewhat older woman sitting in a corner cubicle when I walked into the office.

"Are you Edward Cullen?" she asked, a huge smile on her face. I felt myself shiver a little at the realization that she had probably heard some of my performances. Though I'd progressed in my feelings about the subject of what I'd been reading, I had still comforted myself with the thought that any dried up woman hoping to get her rocks off listening to me talk about sex would have no idea who I was if we ever passed on the street. No such luck in this particular case, it seemed.

"Yes," I said, keeping it as short as possible. "Is my check ready?"

The woman's grin grew even wider. "It is definitely ready, but I don't have it."

What the fuck, I thought silently, but held my tongue. The silence lasted a few beats and I couldn't stand the way she was looking at me. I scowled as I ran my fingers through my hair, then stopped and dropped a fist to my side. I wouldn't want her to think I was trying to be seductive.

"Our CEO wanted a chance to speak with you before you left for the day," she finally informed me. "Her office is just down the hall, number 202."

"Okay," I replied slowly. This was certainly a surprise. "And did the CEO say what she needed to speak with me about?" I tried to keep my tone neutral and the term as vague as she had.

"She didn't say," she corrected, looking like she was about to burst into laughter.

Was this a joke the entire office was in on? I began to feel some true irritation and self-doubt as I nodded and turned to leave. I could practically feel the red-head's eyes on my ass as I walked out. What ever happened to the good old days when only men were sexual harassers, I wondered as I took a deep breath outside door 202.

Figuring that I could handle whatever I was about to face, I squared my shoulders and opened the door without knocking.

The office I entered was a total contrast to the dark sound studio with sound-proofed walls and the fairly non-descript cubicle room I had just left. On either side of the door, floor to ceiling bookcases were packed with multi-colored volumes, interspersed with what looked like awards, sculptures ranging in size and shape, but each bearing some kind of inscription plate.

But, I had barely any time to consider these, as my eyes swept toward the far side from which I had entered. This office was on the exterior wall of the building, which was entirely made of glass. The Seattle skyline glimmered in the weak sun.

Sitting behind a heavy looking oak desk was Bella, looking sheepishly up at me from under her lashes and biting her lip like she was trying not to blurt something out and startle me.

I stood there, my hand still on the doorknob, my mouth open, staring at her for a few minutes. The clock on her desk clicked, but I couldn't hear anything else, not even the sound of Bella's breath. I was starting to wonder if she was in a state of nervous shock, until the intercom on her phone buzzed and the voice of the receptionist I had just met filled the silence.

"Has Mr. Cullen arrived, yet, Ms. Swan?" she said.

Bella broke out of her frozen trance and hit a button on the phone. "Yes, Shelley," she said. "He's here. You can head out now. I won't be needing anything else today."

"Have a wonderful evening, Ms. Swan," the voice replied.

All the things I had planned to say when Bella revealed the truth of her career to me left my brain. "Is this a joke?" I choked out.

"No, Edward," Bella answered, shaking her head and looking even more apprehensive than she had when I'd first walked in. "Despite Shelley's obvious amusement, it is not at all a joke to me. I was hoping you'll let me explain, but if you're too angry to even listen to me for a few minutes, I'll understand."

"I'm not angry," I said, feeling my brow wrinkle. I wondered if I looked angry. "Confused, maybe…" I trailed off as I started to think over the past week. All hints Bella had given me about how difficult she found her job to mix with her personal life fell into an obvious pattern. It was like when you suddenly saw the hidden picture in one of those 3-d drawings.

"I'm definitely not angry, BB." I smiled at my own stupidity for not realizing one of those initials stood for Bella when I'd first heard them. She'd have to tell me what the other stood for another time. There were much more important things to discuss at the moment.

"Will you come in and take a seat," Bella asked meekly, still not daring to move from her own chair. I forced my frozen face into a smile and nodded, finally closing the door behind me and coming into the room.

The past week was playing like a series of movie flashbacks in my head. Bella and I had met in the lobby, so I knew she worked in the building. "You told me your work was developing apps?" I said aloud, hoping to help her ease into this conversation as I sank into a rather plush chair on the opposite side of Bella's desk.

Bella shook her head. "An app is part of how I started my business, but mostly what I do is write," she explained. "I have your check for you." She stood up and walked around the desk, holding out an envelope to me. I noticed a deep blue logo over the name "Tua Cantante."

"You're paying me?" I asked, somewhat troubled by the exchange. It hadn't felt like taking money from Bella when I imagined getting a check from the finance department.

"No," Bella replied. "A Limited Liability Partnership I partially own is paying you. Please don't think about it any other way than that."

"Okay," I said. I pushed that awkward moment aside, and tried to get us back on track. "When I met you in the lobby that first day…" I trailed off, wondering how to phrase the question.

"I had no idea that you had just come from an audition for one of my books," Bella quickly replied. "Please believe me that I wasn't trying to trap you into something or mislead you. I was just as surprised when I heard the first takes of your reading and saw the paperwork with your name on it as you are to see me here."

She bit her lip again. "Well, maybe not exactly as surprised."

She stared walking toward her chair on the opposite side of the desk, but paused. Instead of settling back in the posture of a CEO, she perched on the corner of her desk and folded her hands in her lap, looking like a small chastened child. "I don't usually tell the men I meet what I do for a living until we're serious. And, well, to be honest, there haven't really been anyone I was serious about since I started this company. I was afraid of what a guy would think, and I was terrified of what you would think."

"I think you're very talented, Bella," I insisted, cutting her off.

"You know that wasn't what I meant," she said, still staring at her interwoven fingers. "I'm not fishing for compliments, Edward. I know there's no excuse for being secretive with you. You were honest with me about the situation with Tanya, and deserved the same, especially once I heard your recordings."

I stood up and pressed a finger to her still moving lips. "Don't," I told her. "You had no way of knowing how I would react. You and I both know there's nothing immoral or embarrassing about what you do for a living."

She stared into my eyes openly, and I could tell that she did know that, despite her concerns about telling me.

I paused, looking over her tensed shoulder at the oppressive clouds hovering on the other side of the glass before going on. "But it's a fucked up world and people can have some really unfair double-standards. I don't blame you for wanting to get to know me a little more before making yourself vulnerable to that kind of judgment."

"So, you'd still want to go out with me again?" Bella asked, drawing my gaze back to her wide chocolate eyes. I hated the insecurity I saw there, and was determined that no matter where our relationship went, I would teach her to be as proud of who she was and what she did as she should be.

"Bella," I couldn't resist pressing my lips against hers gently before answering with words. "You have no idea how much I want to take you out again. Just the few experiences we've shared have taught me that I'm not the kind of guy who's going to back down from a challenge. And I like that about myself; you made me feel like I'm capable of seeing things in a different way and I'm not just a guy getting out of a bad marriage."

"Edward," she said my name like a prayer as her hands moved from the edge of her desk to circle my neck. "That's the last thing I think anyone could ever think about you. You're so much more than one small piece of your past."

"And, you, Ms. Swan," I said, pulling her waist closer to me so that our hips met and I was holding most of her weight up off the desk, "Are so much more than your job. Promise me you'll never forget that."

"I promise," she whispered, her eyes completely focused on my lips.

A detail that had been stuck in the back of my mind stumbled into place. "And just so you know," I whispered into her ear before planting a small kiss just underneath on her neck. "I was alone when I lost the button on that shirt. I was trying to make French toast for the first time and the butter splattered all over me. I was so pissed at myself that I tried to pull the shirt over my head without unbuttoning it and a spatula still in my hand."

Bella giggled and squirmed as if she was ticklish as well as amused. "I'm guessing you had the pan too hot," she said.

"Don't tell me you can cook, too?" I asked, pulling back from our embrace just enough to arch a brow at her.

Bella nodded. "If you ask me, I'm a better cook than I am a writer," she said sounding completely confident.

"Fuck," I pulled her hard against my straining erection and she let out a small moan. "Do you feel what you to do me, Miss Swan?"

"I don't think I've ever felt anything so good in my entire life," she gasped.

Unable to control myself, I pushed her down on top of the desk, which thankfully was clear except for a large blotter, her computer monitor being positioned off to the side.

"Tell me that no one is going to walk in on us," I growled into her ear before taking the delicate lobe in between my teeth while my hands still gripped her hips, my fingers pressing into the firm flesh of her ass.

Bella gasped, her fingers pulling at my hair as she answered, "The door locks automatically. I need privacy when I write."

"Good," I stated simply, straightening just enough so that my hands had room to start unbuttoning her blouse, pushing open the linen to reveal a bra covered in royal blue lace. Bella's chest was flushed pink with the blush that also covered her face and neck. I tore my eyes away from her perfect boobs to make sure she wanted this as much as I did. The fire in her eyes left no question.

Her skirt was pushed up her thighs so that I could see a small glimpse of matching satin and lace between her legs. I could have just raised it a little higher, but I didn't want anything in between us. My hands followed the swell of her hips, lifting her slightly until I found the zipper at the back. Once it was down, I pulled both the skirt and her panties down her legs, leaving Bella almost completely bare.

"The bra, too," I motioned for her to sit up so I could take off her last article of clothing.

"What about you," she challenged, surprising me by not moving at my command.

I grinned before quickly unbuttoning my own shirt and unbuckling my belt, not bothering to remove it before pushing down my pants and kicking them off my feet as the shirt went flying into a corner of the room.

I brought my body down on top of hers once again, groaning in pleasure as our chests met and the warmth of her soft skin spread all over me. With my arms tucked underneath her, holding her close, I kissed my way down her throat to her chest. I could probably spend the next year of my life exploring Bella's perfect breasts. They were just more than a perfect handful, soft in my kneading palms and hot in my hungry mouth. As I took a perfectly peaked nipple in my mouth, I felt her flesh tighten even more under the ministrations of my tongue.

The wonder of the moment, the ecstasy of feeling Bella writhe beneath me was almost too much for my mind to handle. Somehow my brain was functioning just enough to notice the small things that had been missing from the incredibly erotic scripts I had read. Like how my muscles burned with the tension of adrenaline as I wanted both to start touching her everywhere at once, but couldn't bear to break contact with the soft skin under my fingers.

Bella's words had captured the heady feeling of power a man could feel at bringing a woman pleasure. But, with that came an equally strong experience of being completely powerless in my own responses. It was pure joy to be left nothing but the sensations of the present moment; to feel and want more, always more.

My mind was almost completely gone when a tiny voice of reason and responsibility spoke up above the murmur of the million thoughts raging through my brain. "Fuck," I said pulling back with an unexpected bit of self control. "We can't do this."

"We can't?" Bella said, looking heartbroken, her lips swollen and her hair spread out like a halo on her desk.

"I just mean," I swallowed, "I don't have…" I couldn't finish the sentence. My brain was doing too much work keeping my cock from going rogue.

"Oh," Bella gasped. "It's okay. I'm on the pill, and I've had all the tests since I was last with someone." She bit her lip again.

Relief surged through me as I rescued her lip from her teeth with my own mouth. "Thank god," I said, in between kisses that I planted on whatever skin I could reach. "I didn't want to put you at risk, but I'm clean, too. I've been tested, and it's been a very long time for me."

Our eyes met, and the past moved like a cold draft for a brief second before the heat of our desire completely overwhelmed it, leaving nothing in the moment except the now for Bella and myself.

"Tell me you want me inside you, Bella," I needed her words to know that she was as ready for this moment as I was, and I wanted her voice to assure me that we were more than the passion that had us completely at its mercy for now.

"I need you inside me, Edward," she whispered. "I've never needed anything more, and I'm never going to stop needing you."

I wanted to hold her gaze as I entered her, but it was too much, and my lids drifted closed as her heat enveloped me. I fit so perfectly inside her that I couldn't bear to move for a few seconds. It was the sound of her exhaling a long slow breath that brought me back into the moment and aware of both of our need for more.

Pulling her toward me so that her hips were just at the edge of the desk, I started a steady rhythm, watching as her eyelashes fluttered wider and her pupils dilated just a bit with each thrust.

I was almost overwhelmed beyond words, but I knew Bella enough to know that she'd want more than just my eager touches and lustful gaze at her beneath me. She deserved the best I could give her.

"You feel so good, baby girl," I told her, and her eyes drifted back into her head as her pleasure reached another level. "You're so tight around my cock; your pussy is holding onto me so good. You've taking me to a place I've never been before, baby."

"Oh god, I've never, ever…" Bella moaned.

"That's right," I said. "And it's only going to get better for us, because you were meant for me baby. I've been waiting for you to be ready for me to be the man you needed, to take care of you, to make you feel good like this whenever you need it, baby."

"I wanted," she gasped, "I wanted you…"

"I know, baby," I told her, still pushing inside, and now adding a finger to her clit, rubbing gently as her juices soaked my cock and the desk beneath her. "I realize now that while I was dreaming about your pretty little pussy, you were thinking about me, too. You don't know how hot that's made me, thinking about you touching yourself all those years ago when I would have given up just about everything I had to make you say my name as you came."

"Oh, Edward, Edward," she panted. I could feel her release coming, and I prayed to whatever higher power there might be that I could hold off until she got there first.

"That's it, sweetheart," I continued to touch her just above where we met with one hand while my other reached for her breast again. "I bet even now you can't imagine that for every scene you've written for us, I've thought of more, can you, my Bella?" I squeezed her nipple between my thumb and forefinger. "But nothing in my imagination can compare to how perfect you really are, how good you feel, baby."

Bella was close now; her walls were fluttering around me and her chest was flushed.

"Let me, baby," my words became a chant as our bodies continued to move in tandem even as her muscles tensed and I could feel her lose all control. "Let me, let me, let me."

"Yes, Edward, yes," she cried out. At that moment, both of our orgasms hit. The room disappeared for a moment as a descending hazed took over my vision and I collapsed onto of her.

I'm not sure how much time passed until I became aware of things like light and sound again. But, as soon as I was physically able, I transferred my weight to my elbow, lifting myself to keep from crushing her. As I slid out of her heat, I remained hovering over Bella's body, keeping her warm while I watched her eyes come back into focus.

I must have used up all my power of language by that point, because all I could say as her mouth turned into a smile was, "Hey there."

Bella's grin got even wider. "Hey, yourself," she replied. "That's a scene I'm never going to share with anyone."

"Really," I teased, quirking an eyebrow at her. "You don't think that was hot enough to make the cut for your readers?"

Bella actually giggled a little, which made our chests touch. I was shocked to feel myself harden again. It had been years since I could be ready to go literally minutes after an orgasm.

"Even in my genre there has to be a certain level of believability," she answered, breaking into my amazement. "And you, Edward Cullen, are too good to be true."

"Is that so," I couldn't help myself from feeling just a little cocky at that.

"Yes," she replied, breaking out into my favorite grin that was just pure Bella, before her eyebrows pulled together in confusion. "Can I ask you something?" she asked in a much different tone.

"You can always ask me anything, Bella," I replied.

"What were you thinking when you were saying 'let me,'" she bit her lip as she waited for my answer.

"I guess that wasn't my finest dirty talk," I said, and I thought about how to answer.

"I liked it," Bella said. "It was sweet that you were asking me even while you were so much in control, and I honestly would have given you permission for just about anything."

"Would have?" I teased.

"Okay," she blushed. "I'm still completely under your power. What do you want, Edward?"

I smirked. "I want," I planted a kiss to her clavicle, before finally getting up off the desk complete, bending to pick up her bra and shirt. "To finally be able to take the girl of my dreams out for the date she deserves. Let me take you away for the weekend, Bella?"

Bella smiled and blushed even deeper. But, as she took her top and we both felt the familiar current pass through us as our fingers met.

She didn't say the words for me to know that her answer to me would always be yes.

 **A/N – And they lived happily ever after. Happy birthday, Sunflower Fran!**


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